Thoughts As a New Olah in Israel for Pesach: ‘You Came Home!’
Dear Editor:
We just finished celebrating Chag HaPesach and I wanted to share some thoughts on my experience as a new olah in Israel. It was not easy to become an Israeli citizen. It took the better part of a year to get all my documents in order. My husband Gershon was very instrumental in accomplishing this awesome task. He reassured me that the bureaucracy was normal, with the exception of getting fingerprinted which was a disaster.
Baruch Hashem, everything worked out and, while I was not greeted with fanfare at the airport, the process was smoother than expected. There was a special phone to call, and someone came to escort us to an office in the airport where we were greeted with “mazal tov” and given sandwiches and coffee. We came two weeks before Pesach and of course everyone was busy getting ready for the chag. You could feel it in the air: the anticipation, the stress, the frantic shopping. We were all in this together.
On the Friday before the chag, there were many places to burn the chametz, and we went to a local garden together with many other residents of the neighborhood for a bonfire. There were areas set up to kasher pots and utensils for the holiday as well. There is something special about communal celebrations.
It was an adjustment for me to only have one Seder this year. No do-over if you fell asleep during the first Seder. On Chol HaMoed, I attended a women’s Hallel at Yeshurun Synagogue. There was a female singer and band, and we sang all of Hallel together. Women danced in the aisles. We were treated to some words of inspiration by Rebbetzin Yemimah Mizrachi, who gave us chizuk and emphasized the importance of celebrating no matter what is going on.
Another day, I went to the Kosel to say T’hilim. Walking through the Old City together with throngs of people from different backgrounds and languages, I felt like it was a true oleh laRegel pilgrimage to the Temple. Of course, the Kosel was packed and it was hot, but I was not bothered by the crowd or the heat. Normally, I would not be comfortable in such an environment, but here I was inspired. I also attended a cantorial concert at the Jerusalem Theatre. It was amazing. The orchestra played Dayeinu, t’filah for the soldiers, and many other songs. Netaniel Hertzik was one of the singers. I am so grateful that my dream of living in Eretz Yisrael has come to be!
Rachel Epstein
Dear Editor:
On a brisk April day, just a week before Pesach, Agudath Israel of America mobilized approximately 250 advocates – educators, business owners, and community leaders from across the country – for a vital mission to Washington, DC, to advocate for legislation to assist parents for children’s education and related services. Most of these individuals can afford tuition and do not rely on grants. Yet, despite their busy schedules so close to Pesach, they took a day off work to emphasize how critical this bill is: to help their brothers and sisters receive financial assistance and maintain autonomy in their school choice. A gathering of this scale, with such a unified purpose, is unprecedented. Their goal: to champion the educational needs of our children.
At the heart of their advocacy was the Education Choice Child Act (ECCA), a transformative initiative designed to expand educational opportunities for K-12 students. The program encourages donations to scholarship-granting organizations. This is to ensure that families – whether in public, private, or homeschool settings – receive crucial financial support. To incentivize these contributions, the bill offers a dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit, making it easier for taxpayers to sustain their generosity.
For Jewish parents committed to providing their children with a strong Torah education yet struggling with the financial burden, the ECCA bill represents a potential lifeline. Equally important, the bill safeguards religious liberty and the autonomy of private schools by explicitly prohibiting government interference, mandates, or regulatory encroachments on participating institutions.
Throughout the day, team leaders guided advocacy groups in meetings with Congressional representatives, Senators, and their staff. The purpose is to make the case for the bill’s inclusion in the budget resolution package. All the while, they made a kiddush Hashem – through their yarmulkas, tz’nius attire, and expressions of gratitude for those who support Israel. In this historic moment, with Republicans controlling all three branches of government, the opportunity to pass the ECCA bill has never been more tangible. If successful, this legislation would be a game changer for both school donors and families. It would create a real opportunity to address one of the most pressing and long-standing financial challenges in our community – affordable tuition.
Sorolle Idels
Community activist
Dear Editor:
Mr. Hecht is privileged with a weekly column in the QJL. Every week, he attacks Republicans, specifically President Trump. However, the Democratic Party has taken extremely radical positions recently. As a proud card-carrying member of the Democratic Party, he should have to defend those positions.
The Governor of Maine, a Democrat, has decided to ignore a Trump executive order protecting Title Nine and women in America. She is not stopping biological men from playing in women’s sports in her state. She is not even stopping biological men from entering women’s bathrooms! The UK Supreme Court just ruled that there are only two sexes. “And G-d created man in His image; in the image of G-d He created him; male and female He created them” (B’reishis 1:27). Defend it.
A sitting US Senator from Maryland just flew to El Salvador on the taxpayer’s dime in support of a deported illegal who beat his wife. This administration is trying to remove as many as possible of the 14 million illegals who came here under Biden. It was an invasion, and President Trump is trying to reclaim our sovereignty. Meanwhile, Democratic judges, who think they run the country, are ruling that the President – the head of the Executive Branch – is not allowed to remove these illegals. They are overstepping their constitutional boundaries. Defend it.
A man killed an insurance executive in cold blood. Yet, the Left is hailing him as a hero, a patron saint. They are raising money for his defense and making every attempt to rationalize the murder. Defend it.
Harvard University is now a cesspool of bigotry. There is no longer any academic freedom on campus. Conservatives are not welcome. Religious freedom is not welcome on campus. Pro-Palestinian mobs are violently attacking Jews. Jews are afraid to walk on campus. President Trump has said he will pull all federal funds from the intuition. That means, it will have to start to dip into the $50 billion endowment the school has. As an aside, that’s not a bad thing. If Harvard won’t protect students, they have failed as a center of higher learning where debate of thought should be expressed. Defend it.
Leftists have gone around burning Tesla dealerships and vandalizing Tesla cars. All the Democrats in the House voted against a bill that would require a person who votes to show identification. The mainstream media covered up Joe Biden’s dementia and now everyone seems to be cashing in and writing a book about it, as if we didn’t know he had it the whole time. Mr. Hecht, this is your party. Defend it.
Shalom Markowitz