Aliyah – the good, the bad and the meshuga

BENITA LEVIN

Not something I’d ever encountered. But the festival of Purim is a serious business in Israel, seemingly for people of all ages. Festivities continue for a full week, with children being given a new theme each day at school. Pajama day, Superhero day and “Around the World” keeping one’s imagination busy before anyone even tries to attempt the more traditional Queen Esther or Haman costumes.

We’d been briefed beforehand about the marathon celebrations, but seeing signs in the middle of the road wishing everyone a “Chag Sameach”” caught me by surprise. A parade for the children – all dressed up in colourful costumes – brought traffic to a standstill in the middle of the week.

Parts of the main road were closed off as toddlers and teenagers alike, come out in their droves to watch the procession. Later in the week there was a more risqué looking parade for older children, in which many boys were dancing around in bikinis and girls were wearing very little. There was something for everyone. I’d joked with a friend that Batwoman was the obvious choice of costume for me, because one does need superhero powers to cope with all the new changes that come with being an olah chadasha.

In the past, juggling the roles of a wife, mom, radio news editor and life coach, kept me setting regular new goals. Now, one feels a bizarre sense of achievement to co-ordinate a dishwasher load, washing machine cycle and three meals a day, all before leaving one’s home in the morning.

It all comes down to some highly efficient home planning. I mean rostering. Everyone here gets involved. Our children get to pick their favourite music as they finish their chores – including sweeping, throwing out the trash, washing up after meals and folding clothes. There is no doubt that we’re in the novelty phase of this group family clean-up routine. It is simply going to have to become our new normal.

Then there’s the daunting task of taking on the local supermarkets. Who’d ever have dreamt that a routine trip with a trolley could potentially be an ordeal? We’d been warned a debut trip to a local shop – with most branding obviously in Hebrew – would be enough to reduce the toughest of adults to tears.

Armed with a Hebrew-speaking husband, a host of sympathetic women on speed-dial standby and a sharpened sense of humour, we ventured into uncharted shopping aisles.

It bears stating the obvious – as with anything in life, one’s attitude to anything new is most of the battle. Whether it’s a new job, a new relationship or a new home in a new country, we choose how we react to different situations.

The same applies to taking on additional household chores when you’d rather be doing anything else at the time. It also applies to something as mundane as buying groceries.

Depending on your ability to focus on the positive or the negative, you might end up laughing at the fact that you’ve inadvertently bought giblets instead of raw chicken stir fry. It’s part of the journey. You can either let the small things get you down, or you can straighten your Batwoman cloak, acknowledge that you’re experiencing the highs and lows of life in a new country and be grateful that you can…

New word of the week – Be-Emet – In truth. Used in casual conversation to say “for real”.

Favourite food of the week – Malau-ach. A delicious flat pastry usually eaten with humus, boiled egg and chopped tomatoes.

Smile of the week – Seeing a concrete scale at the entrance of a park, so people can apparently weigh themselves after a walk or run. (Not worth stepping on after eating malau-ach.)