Page 62 - issue
P. 62
donate good quality clothing to the “Sundays are considered a regular country to come give shiurim and see
gemach, which sells it very cheaply weekday, and everyone goes right back how Chomesh is slowly being rebuilt.
(only a few shekels per garment). They to school and work.” Asher and Chava believe that’s impor-
renovated and designed the store to tant to take an active part in rebuilding
make it look like a regular shop where When the Vodkas first moved to Bat the Land, to bring us closer to geulas
people would feel comfortable shop- Yam, Asher learned in the yeshiva. Yisrael.
ping for their clothing. She and her Then their Rav asked that he lead the
girls love shopping there as well! When new yeshiva ketana track they were ◆◆◆
the community needed a new kinder- starting at the local yeshiva high
garten, Chava was there to help, and school. Asher has been leading the Chava and her family are fortunate
also created programs for women and yeshiva ketana for the past seven years that some of her family made aliyah.
girls. The next project on Chava’s agen- and also teaches the twelfth graders. About 10 years ago, Chava’s parents
da is starting a multifaceted learning “His current talmidim like him as much moved to Yerushalayim and are very
center geared towards the needs of the as the Ethiopian kids did way back happy living in Baka. Chava’s brother
religious community. when…,” Chava attests proudly. Avi and his wife made aliyah as newly-
weds soon after she did. Her younger
“American olim davka have a lot to Aside from his involvements in Bat brother Ari lives in New Jersey and
give to Israeli community life,” says Yam, Asher learns each Thursday in a hopes to move to Eretz Yisrael in the
Chava. “Sometimes when you’ve seen yeshiva in Chomesh, one of the yishu- future as well.
how things worked differently in chutz vim in the Shomron that was disman-
la’aretz,, it enables you to develop tled at the time of the Gush Katif Chava has advice to share with read-
change that others don’t see as possi- expulsion. Although the yishuv was ers of the Where What When who are
ble.” The hardest part of her aliyah, destroyed, the land remains under interested in aliyah. “Don’t be afraid to
says Chava, is being far from friends Israeli control, unlike Gush Katif, which try new things,” she begins. “It can be a
and family and not being able to partic- was given away to the Arabs. The yeshi- bit daunting at first but it gets easier
ipate in family simchas. She jokes that va in Chomesh doesn’t have a building, and easier. Who hasn’t taken a bus in
something that took her time to get but they have had a constant presence the wrong direction once or twice?!”
adjusted to was that you don’t have there for a few years now. Asher Chava once spent hours on a bus
Sundays off, as you have in America. arranges for groups to visit Chomesh because she didn’t recognize her stop
and for rabbanim from all over the and finally just went home. Chava
quotes the Israelis: “Lo na’im aval lo
58 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
gemach, which sells it very cheaply weekday, and everyone goes right back how Chomesh is slowly being rebuilt.
(only a few shekels per garment). They to school and work.” Asher and Chava believe that’s impor-
renovated and designed the store to tant to take an active part in rebuilding
make it look like a regular shop where When the Vodkas first moved to Bat the Land, to bring us closer to geulas
people would feel comfortable shop- Yam, Asher learned in the yeshiva. Yisrael.
ping for their clothing. She and her Then their Rav asked that he lead the
girls love shopping there as well! When new yeshiva ketana track they were ◆◆◆
the community needed a new kinder- starting at the local yeshiva high
garten, Chava was there to help, and school. Asher has been leading the Chava and her family are fortunate
also created programs for women and yeshiva ketana for the past seven years that some of her family made aliyah.
girls. The next project on Chava’s agen- and also teaches the twelfth graders. About 10 years ago, Chava’s parents
da is starting a multifaceted learning “His current talmidim like him as much moved to Yerushalayim and are very
center geared towards the needs of the as the Ethiopian kids did way back happy living in Baka. Chava’s brother
religious community. when…,” Chava attests proudly. Avi and his wife made aliyah as newly-
weds soon after she did. Her younger
“American olim davka have a lot to Aside from his involvements in Bat brother Ari lives in New Jersey and
give to Israeli community life,” says Yam, Asher learns each Thursday in a hopes to move to Eretz Yisrael in the
Chava. “Sometimes when you’ve seen yeshiva in Chomesh, one of the yishu- future as well.
how things worked differently in chutz vim in the Shomron that was disman-
la’aretz,, it enables you to develop tled at the time of the Gush Katif Chava has advice to share with read-
change that others don’t see as possi- expulsion. Although the yishuv was ers of the Where What When who are
ble.” The hardest part of her aliyah, destroyed, the land remains under interested in aliyah. “Don’t be afraid to
says Chava, is being far from friends Israeli control, unlike Gush Katif, which try new things,” she begins. “It can be a
and family and not being able to partic- was given away to the Arabs. The yeshi- bit daunting at first but it gets easier
ipate in family simchas. She jokes that va in Chomesh doesn’t have a building, and easier. Who hasn’t taken a bus in
something that took her time to get but they have had a constant presence the wrong direction once or twice?!”
adjusted to was that you don’t have there for a few years now. Asher Chava once spent hours on a bus
Sundays off, as you have in America. arranges for groups to visit Chomesh because she didn’t recognize her stop
and for rabbanim from all over the and finally just went home. Chava
quotes the Israelis: “Lo na’im aval lo
58 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
