By Sara Hamaoui
In-the-Aretz Correspondent
Our whole lives we are told that Israel is where we belong. We spend years in school learning about our history and connection to the land, and then we go home and listen to our parents talk longingly about their favourite place in the world. “One day”, they say. “One day we’ll go and it’ll be perfect, and we’ll finally be where we should be.”
To me, this never felt real.
Instead, Israel felt like a mysterious country across the ocean which I visited as a child without really understanding where I was; a land described in an ancient book that I was supposed to believe in.
However, like every Jewish person who came before me, it just took a few months in Israel for me to realise that there was nowhere else that I could possibly live. In 2021 I left Montreal for a year to study Judaism in Israel at a seminary called Machon Ma’ayan. It’s safe to say that this was the best year of my life, for so many reasons, but the biggest imprint it left on me was an unconditional love for my country. Almost immediately after stepping onto the campus, a connection was bridged between me and the land, and every single day it grew stronger.
The beauty was endlessly breathtaking, the people were so interesting and diverse and kind, the history rich. The feeling of belonging still hasn’t left me. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to go to a school that taught me about Jewish and Israeli history, as well as introducing me to all kinds of places and communities around the country. I got to learn so much, and it was this education that created the desire within me to spend my life in my beautiful homeland.
It’s now been almost two years that I’ve been back in Montreal, and it’s finally time for me to return home. Although, the process is not an easy one, nor is it a short one.
If anyone is interested in pursuing aliyah (moving to Israel) at any point in the future, let this be your very basic beginners guide. Buckle your seat belt, because the bureaucracy is not fun.
The first thing that I did when I started considering aliyah was research. This should be an obvious first step, but many people just assume that if they move there, everything else will fall into place. I, however, started spending all my time looking into university requirements in Israel and all the different programs I could apply for.
In sum, the most important thing that I learned was that universities in Israel know what cegep is, and some of them actually require it. Knowing this, I decided to get my DEC to guarantee myself an academic future, especially if things went wrong and I had to stay in Montreal.
Another thing that is required is either the SATs or the ACTs. Doing them in Canada was not too difficult, CollegeBoard and Khan Academy basically did all the work for me. But if anyone is interested in university in Israel, these tests are something to consider and start thinking about.
After that, I ended up deciding that I actually wasn’t ready for university, and instead I wanted to do a year of sherut leumi, which is the national service alternative to the army in Israel. I didn’t know anything about where to start, but, knowing that it was a government run program, I decided to apply for aliyah to get started.
I went on the Nefesh B’Nefesh (NBN) website, which is the organisation that helps Jews move to Israel, guiding them easily through the process. I filled out the aliyah application, which was quite short and basic, and within a few days I was contacted by an advisor. This advisor reached out to me and explained to me that she would be my guide throughout my aliyah journey, answering all my questions and helping me find resources.
After some deliberation, decision changing, and many instances of my file being on hold, I finally had my first meeting with my advisor in December of 2023. As I was heading into my last semester of cegep, I was determined to really get started on my future plans, so I asked her where I should start. She sent me many sources detailing different aspects of the aliyah process, as well as the benefits of moving to Israel, and life in Israel after moving there. She also told me that before worrying about anything else, I had to start completing my file.
The process of filling it out basically just entailed submitting all of my documents. After every document is submitted, the aliyah applicant is eligible to schedule an interview with the Jewish Agency, which is the final step towards getting approved for aliyah.
The documents were not very complicated to submit. They included passport, passport pictures, a health form, birth certificate, entry/exit form, and a proof of Judaism letter. This last one was completed by just asking my local Rabbi to vouch for me. I submitted all these documents in about a week, and that’s when things got a little hard. The last few documents to submit included an apostilled birth certificate and a background check, both of which require going to an office.
This next part is important. To apostille a document, one has to fill out a short form, and bring it, along with the document, to the Palais de Justice. To apostille basically just means to authenticate, so it’s a pretty official process. It’s not very difficult, it just requires waiting, however, it can only be done if the document was issued less than 5 years ago.
This was something that I didn’t know, and, as I’m writing this, I’m waiting for my new birth certificate to arrive in the mail. This, contrary to what I initially thought, doesn’t mean I have to be 5 years old. It just means that the document has to be renewed.
To renew a document, go to the Etat Civil website, and they will have detailed forms to follow and fill out. Once again, it’s not difficult, just a bit tedious. Bureaucracy is never pleasant, but it’s always necessary, so make sure you’re on top of it and renew your documents as soon as you can.
As for the background check, those are only valid for 6 months, so I have not done mine yet. Always make sure to have somewhat of an idea of when you’re planning on moving, so that when it comes to the background check you can plan accordingly. I’m moving in August, so my check will be done in March just in case.
Once all of these things are done, and everything is verified and submitted, your advisor will help you schedule an interview with the Jewish Agency. Once this goes through, you can finally start looking forward to aliyah, booking (free!) flights, etc.
Of course, the story of moving to a different country is much more than what is written here. Throughout this process, I have been looking into sherut leumi options, apartment details, potential Hebrew lessons, and so much more. But it is all manageable, even enjoyable, with the right help and support system.
Making aliyah takes an incredible amount of determination and courage, yet for those of us who feel the indescribable connection to the land of Israel, it is so worth it.
Comments