Our youngest grandson is doing a project at school concerning the experiences we as grandparents faced when we made aliyah, writes Michael Kuttner

It is nearly thirty two years now since we left New Zealand and traveled via a circuitous and exhausting route (Hawaii, San Francisco and New York) to the Promised Land. We explained that there were no flights to Israel in 1991 from Bangkok or Hong Kong and certainly none via Dubai or Abu Dhabi.

One of the questions he asked us was what sort of challenges we had encountered. Naturally, there were many such as acquiring proficiency in Ivrit and finding employment and navigating the inevitable bureaucratic hurdles. As a Sabra he was intrigued to learn about our requirement to relearn the road code and switch driving from the left to the right side of the roads.

The final question was whether we had any regrets and did we now consider ourselves Israeli. Without a doubt the answer to the former was no and to the latter a resounding yes.

LEARNING ENGLISH

 In co-operation with the Jerusalem Municipality an exciting new method of learning English for Arabic speaking students has been launched.

This initiative tailored specifically for Israel’s Arab students will of course never be acknowledged by the mainstream media which is why you can learn about it here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9L33IUlBgM

PURIM AND THE TEMPLE 

As we look back on Purim there is an interesting connection between the Festival and the Temple in Jerusalem which is often overlooked.

This short video explains how Purim and Jerusalem are actually interconnected as are so many other things in Judaism.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7A_Iikwu0CI

SEEING IS BELIEVING

 Israeli technology now enables the visually impaired to see and read.

Even Messi the famous soccer player finds this truly unbelievable and amazing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0ZZISThn_I

INNOVATION IS THE NAME OF THE GAME 

It’s not just a slogan. Israel’s innovation programme is a reality.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1sCOzV6Hec

Michael Kuttner is a Jewish New Zealander who for many years was actively involved with various communal organisations connected to Judaism and Israel. He now lives in Israel. 

[This article was originally published on J-Wire and is reproduced here with permission from Michael Kuttner.]