Israelis Abroad
A support and exploration group
You came here just to finish your MBA, almost 10 years ago. Or maybe you wanted just to save a little before settling back home. Maybe your husband was relocated here by his job and you followed. Maybe you were just exploring the wide world after your army service and found the love of your life, right here.
Meanwhile… you got your green card, you got married here, your children were born, or grown up here and are already fluent in English and sometime have a questioning look when you use a Hebrew expression they have not heard before. Meanwhile you got interested in baseball, or surfing or hiking the Sierras, or skiing in Tahoe or even some local politics. Meanwhile you got used to the Bay Area life style and cannot imagine yourself without Whole Foods, the Golden Gate Bridge or your favorite yoga studio. You even found some reasonable humus place, although it is never really the same as at home.
When you go visit your parents every other year, do you still tell them: “one day we’ll be back”? Do you believe it?
How do you face the mixed look on your friends’ face when you tell them about your life here? How about your own mixed feeling?
The freedom from reserve duty and from the endless and senseless war which you are reminded of each time you read your favorite Israeli newspaper online mean so much when you are actually aware of it. On the other end, the longing for Mount Tabor, or Jerusalem, or the Mediterranean and noisy Tel-Aviv cannot be quenched by all the freedoms and luxuries so abundant here.
What to Expect
In our 7 weekly meetings, we’ll explore many of these and related topics, and access our thoughts and emotions in a safe environment, all in Hebrew.
Although from different generations, we – Shachar and Rulik – are both typical Sabra stock, graduates of the Nahal, with experience in hi-tech, and professional therapists.
By the end of our time together, we hope you will have a deeper understanding of the issues, and be in a better place to explore them further with your loved ones. Even if there are no real solutions, peace of mind is worth everything
