Hillary Gordon is a Wisconsin and Berkshires Ramahnik who made aliyah in 2009. She writes,

“The key motivating factors in my decision to make alilyah to Israel were a desire to be part of the greatest Jewish experience in modern times, to live my life in a country that goes according to the Jewish calendar, to involve my children in a society that is still inventing itself and building itself and to give them a sense of service to something. I also wanted to come to Israel to lend my support for pluralistic Judaism in the state and to be able to vote for these issues and those poilticians supporting these issues.

As well, making aliyah has been a dream of mine since I went on Seminar in 1985. Hugely. The first time I came to Israel was in 1985 with Ramah Seminar and from that point on I wanted to live here. In 2004, I came to train Ramah shlichim and that was the first time I had been back since 1986.

I knew then that my family and I belonged here. They were key. All of the wonderful shlichim that I have known over the years plus veteran olim were invaluable in our klita. I have been working for the past 1.5 years for Masorti Olami and raising my kids and taking tiyulim and I’ve overall been very happy with my decision.”