Israel Aliyah marks a homecoming for former Oak Park family. Chava Docks Special to the Jewish News 0 ur incredible journey as a fam- ily began four years ago in Oak Park. My husband, Moshe, and I would see the news, look at the pictures of Israel and wonder if we could make a life in our ancient homeland. How could we do this? How could we uproot our whole lives and children and move to a country where we didn't even speak the language or know the culture? Yes, it is the ancestral homeland of the Jewish people, but we were Americans with a very American way of life. My husband and I decided to take a trip to view the Land of Israel for ourselves. At age 41, we both journeyed to Israel for the first time in our lives. We felt as if we had returned home; and when we left, we felt the pain of exile. We vowed to return. When we came back to the States, we contacted Nefesh B'Nefesh and opened a file for aliyah. [Nefesh B'Nefesh is a non- profit organization dedicated to revitaliz- ing aliyah from North America and Britain and to removing the professional, logistical and financial obstacles that prevent many from moving to Israel. NBN works in part- nership with the Israeli government.] The paperwork for aliyah was daunting; the business to take care of in prepara- tion to move to Israel was overwhelming, but the light of Israel on the horizon was bright. We forged on through many dif- ficult trials, but four years later, with our children in tow, we arrived in Israel on July 22. We felt as if the gates were thrown open for us and the Land of Israel warmly and lovingly embraced us as long-lost chil- dren. Israel welcomed us home. We chose to live in Ma'ale Adumim, which is about 15 minutes outside of Jerusalem. Ma'ale Adumim is an ancient city that is mentioned in the Book of Joshua, although it wasn't rebuilt until March 1979. We love Ma'ale Adumim because so many different types of Jews live together in harmony and friendship without passing religious or political judg- ments upon each other. The holiday of Rosh Hashanah was unbe- lievably beautiful and holy. We heard the Chava and Moshe Docks arrive in Israel with Sarah, 8, and Shloimie, 12. Older son, Yaakov, 20, is working in the U.S. call of the shofar ring throughout the city and echo in the hills. Nothing can compare to saying the Rosh Hashanah prayers while looking at Jerusalem and realizing that, with God's loving grace, we will celebrate the New Year at home in Israel. Our balcony looks directly toward the magnificent hills of Jerusalem, and at night the wind is clean, strong and cool. There is a peace that my family has here that, in my opinion, was never expe- rienced anywhere else in the world. We have come home to the land of our patri- archs and matriarchs. We truly believe that we have been given a precious and price- less gift from God. ❑ Living in Israel means getting used to a new lifestyle, like hanging laundry on a balcony with a view of the hills surrounding nearby Jerusalem. Younger Focus Directing teen mission among roles of new Federation staffer. Robert Sklar Contributing Editor I W hile living in Israel for two years after earning a Master of Arts degree in counsel- ing from Oakland University, Danielle Longo volunteered on behalf of Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit- supported programming. The programs were for young Detroiters studying, volunteering and interning in the Jewish state. Her Israel experience also included teaching English during a 10-month internship with MASA Israel Journey. She further worked as an academic counselor at Tel Aviv University and directed the 2013 TAMID summer fellowship for U.S. business students interested in Israeli business and economic internships. In August, Longo joined Federation as an Israel & Overseas staff associate. Her duties include coordinating the Sue & Alan J. Kaufman Family Teen Mission 2014 and serving as the local representa- tive for MASA, an Israeli government 36 September 19 • 2013 AN and Jewish Agency for Israel joint project that helps young Jewish adults find and fund five- to 10-month-long internships and learning opportunities in Israel. MASA receives support from the Jewish Federations of North America and the United Israel Appeal. Longo, now a Troy resident, is excited about joining Federation's Bloomfield Township-based staff. "This is the perfect culmination of my previous experience and passions," she tells the IN. "I am working with youth, living in the community I grew up in and am able to maintain my ties to Israel." Growing up in Bloomfield Hills, Longo attended Hillel Day School of Metropolitan Detroit and Birmingham Groves High School. She earned an undergraduate degree at the University of Michigan before seeking a post-graduate degree and national certification in coun- seling. After interning at Birmingham Seaholm as a high school counselor and as forensics co-director, she moved to Israel. While there, she assisted Federation's young adult outreach and engagement coordinator, Yoav Raban, in developing specific programming so young Jewish Detroiters immersed in Israeli life could not only meet and min- gle, but also could interact with and enjoy the hospitality of their peers and their families in Federation's Central Galilee Partnership region. The Detroiters in Israel (DIA) initiative began two years ago; Federation is con- stantly working to expand its resources. Federation also aims to integrate DIA participants into NEXTGen Detroit programming when they return home. Longo's MASA background should prove especially helpful since many of the Israel programs that Detroiters enroll in are MASA-sponsored. Online signup for the 2014 Sue and Alan J. Kaufman Family Teen Mission, Federation's ninth teen mission to Israel, opens Sept. 23 (jewishdetroit.org/ tm14). The trip is for current ninth- to 12th-graders. It will enable local teens to travel to Israel as a local community and experience their ancestral homeland with Teen Mission coordinator Danielle Longo atop the Azrieli Center in Tel Aviv this summer peers from the Partnership region. Local Reform and Conservative congregations are co-sponsors of TM14, set for July 1 to Aug. 1. Scholarships are available for qualifying families. Oakland County-based Tamarack Camps is a TM14 partner. TM14 chair Sherri Ketai of Franklin, says, "It is because of the continuing generous sponsorship of the Sue and Alan J. Kaufman family that we have the opportunity to provide this special mis- sion for as many Metro Detroit teens as possible." ❑ TM14 questions? Contact Danielle Longo, Iongo@jfmd.org or (248) 203-1467.