I didn't feel to go there, but i had a very good reason to be there: my future with my brothers and sisters, all together.
A French young man introduced the program of the Alyah.
In 2011, about 1500 French Jews made their Alyah. End of 2014, 6500 will make it.
The majority of Jews in the shul were Sephardic, and came to have more information.
We were a few who wanted to leave our country next year.
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| Shul for the meeting of Alyah, Paris 19ème, September 2014, ©emmarubinstein |
The first condition to make the Alyah: to be Jewish.
What is it to be Jewish?
Where is my place?
We were in that shul because we were Jewish, except…
The man who informed us made me laugh many times.
The first impression that the new 'immigrant' can have: Israeli people are crazy!
Because they wear socks in their Crocs.
After 4 years wandering in Jewish neighborhood in Brooklyn, that fashion of Crocs is so natural for me.
He talked about the education which is totally different from France.
Apparently, the French are the worst students for the Oulpan. :-)
In Israel, there is more freedom. You need the pass mark for all the subjects to pass your high school diploma.
In France, we count all the subjects to obtain a general note on 20.
If you have 5/20 in maths, and 18/20 in biology, your pass mark is 11.5/20, you pass it.
In Israel, you can take the time that you need to pass your subject.
Not in France.
The other point very interesting in the education is that the teachers support you to be more confident.
Maybe, that's one of the explanation of their rude behavior.
That's not the first time that i heard about the confidence of the Israelis.
The teachers teach you how to be an adult. That will be very interesting for me once again.
I will wear my helmet of anthropologist.
The other thing that i will like in this country is the meeting of different cultures. There are Jews from everywhere. How do they live their Judaism through the music, literature, food…?
I am a little lost with the French language. That happened the other day when i read something about the hallot. What was that? With the context, i understood that they were talking about my beloved challah!
Israel seems to be an upward country with many start-ups…
May positive points which don't seem obvious in a hot country.
I need positive energy and sun after the American laziness.
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| Crown Heights, September 2014, ©emmarubinstein |
The day after i met up a Facebook 'friend', R.. We have friends in common.
He is muslim, Kabyle, not religious at all.
His best friend is a Jew, but he waited 5 years to tell him that he was Jewish.
He thought that the Jews have hang-ups, but after telling him shortly my experiences with the Hasidic community, he thought that it might be the fear.
He is well-integrated in the French culture. He likes France.
He made the statement that there is a failure of the European politics of integration.
In USA, there is no integration. You can follow the rules, but you can live how you want.
I mean that the American definition of integration is different from the European definition.
The French don't understand why they have to cover their head if they travel in a Muslim country like Iran. Because in France the Muslims don't want to accept the secular culture.
The respect of the culture of the others is complicated in my country.
R. was very shocked during the summer war in Israel when he saw his brothers from the third generation, asking for the death of the Jews on the French streets.
I summarized my story, and he didn't want to believe that i was not a Jew at 100%. That was funny to convince it that i still have a long road to walk. "You have a Jewish face from Eastern Europe!"
He was persistent, i gave up. And i was happy! :-)
After the meeting of the Alyah, they send you an email and you can start the process.
I wanted to go to the Consistory before sending them back my replies.
That was for today, and that was another delightful moment.
The building is like a fortress. You have to explain why you are here. Summarize my life is a good exercise. I passed the test, and the third door was opened for me.
I met a man who was waiting for me to give me advices about the recognition of my Jewishness.
I thought that he was Sephardic. He had a black feet accent. He looked like Ashkenazic nevertheless.
He talked to me as if i was a kid: the use of familiar 'tu' form (the first 'you' in English). I kept on the use of the 'vous' form, the polite form when i talked with him.
I told him my huge desire of a conversion, and he said that it will be better to do it in Israel: 7 months, instead of 2 years and half in France.
He was caring with me: "'Tu' need to find a job there…"
That was my turn of questions, because i felt very comfortable with him. I was back in Crown Heights in my mind!
He is the rabbi of the most famous shul in Paris. I googled it when i went back home.
He is not a French Sephardic indeed. I was wrong about his accent: that was an Israeli accent. Apparently, the French is not his mother's tongue, that might explain the use of the 'tu' form. The conjugation is easier with the 'tu' than the 'vous'.
I actually appreciated that he took the time to give me information about my Jewish status, Torah and Hebrew classes. He is a very busy rabbi, but he was there for me, and we had a great connection.
I had a short conversation with two Sephardic ladies. One of them has friends in Crown Heights. She likes the 770 and all the area. They were listening my story told to the rabbi, and pushed me to do everything to become Jewish at 100%.
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| Waiting, Boro Park, September 2014, ©emmarubinstein |
There are things difficult to understand if you don't live them.
I was thinking of going to London for a few days, in the district of Stamford Hill to see my Hasidic peyos boys. Before or after Israel?
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