Category: Aliyah
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Aliyah and Identity: ‘The heartache of two homelands’
Perhaps only migrating birds know– Suspended between earth and sky– The heartache of two homelands. —Leah Goldberg, 1970 Leah Goldberg’s poem ‘Pine’ poignantly captures the ambivalent position of many Olim caught between two countries and two identities. For many, negotiation of a more complex, integrated identity that sits between two cultures is realisable.…
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Tips for a stress-free chag
The chagim can be a wonderful break from routine; an opportunity to spend time with family, eat good food, take a look back at the year gone past and look forward to the year to come. Of course, it is not always and for everyone the celebratory experience we would hope for. Dr Darnel, a Psychiatrist…
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How can I get help in Israel as an English speaker?
As an English speaker living in Israel life can be exciting and exhilarating! But sometimes the pressure of living within a new culture can become a little too much and we can become overwhelmed by the ‘Aliyah rollercoaster’! In any case finding help and locating resources in a foreign language and culture is difficult,…
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Aliyah: a rollercoaster
Making Aliyah and the years that follow bring with it a rollercoaster of different emotions and experiences, some liberating and exhilarating and some more complex and stressful. So how can we better acclimatise to a new culture? What predicts a softer landing and an easier ‘settling in’? When are we more likely to adapt…
Dr. Lisa Law, ClinPsyD 