Moving Up: An Aliyah Journal

by Laura Ben-David

When she packed up her bags, her family, and her life, to depart the United States for a permanent move to Israel, Laura Ben-David never knew that Aliyah would be the most emotional, frustrating, moving, and hilarious experience of her life. "Moving An Aliyah Journal" beautifully captures Laura Ben-David's family's highs and lows as they navigate Israeli bureaucracy, a new culture, a host of remarkable characters, and a 2,000-year-old dream, all with wit, energy, and passion. Compulsory reading for anyone considering Aliyah or already living in Israel, but all will enjoy this book - over and over again.

204 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2006

About the author

Inspired by her experience making Aliyah to Israel, Laura began writing and never stopped. She is the author of the book, MOVING UP: An Aliyah Journal, a memoir of her move to Israel. She has spoken about Israel and Aliyah all over the United States and Israel. Formerly the head of social media at Nefesh B'Nefesh, Laura recently started her own business, LBD Creative.

Read some of her articles at her Times of Israel blog.

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

What makes Moving Up such a wonderful memoir is that firstly, it is a compilation of journal entries written in real time. You don't have to rely on the author's memory of events that happened months or years ago. More importantly, what I love about this journal is that Laura Ben-David takes the reader through everything. She doesn't merely focus on big events, monumental changes, and milestones, as most memoirs tend to do. Rather, the reader is also treated to details that may seem inconsequential on their own, but in reality paint a bigger, more realistic, more in-depth picture of what the life of a new Oleh is really like. The Israeli rules (or lack thereof) of "waiting in line", the surprisingly difficult-to-deal-with driving test instructor, negotiating to get one's sink fixed, etc. are just as integral to the "story" as major events. Life is not all parades and birthdays and holidays and trips to the spa in Eilat. Rather, real life consists of parades and broken sinks and birthdays and navigating the healthcare system and holidays and unplowed snowy roads. And Laura Ben-David captures it all in a heartfelt, funny, truthful memoir worth reading for anyone interested in Israeli life, but especially for anyone considering "moving up" themselves.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderfully human book chronicling the journey of an American family as they become an Israeli family. A must read for anyone who wants to make Aliyah!