Noam Elituv of Ramah Canada and Berkshires made aliyah in 2011. He wrote this about his experience:

It has always been my dream to live in Eretz Hakdusha. In the past few years (upon entering high school), it has become more and more apparent to me that this dream can become a reality. The dream of living in Israel has been instilled in me from the earliest days of my childhood.

Netivot Ha’Torah Day School is a Jewish Zionistic day school in the Thornhill suburb of Toronto. I attended Netivot for ten years (ages 4 – 14), living the Zionistic lifestyle intended for me by my parents. Some of my greatest memories from elementary school in Netivot are of the annual Yom Ha’Atzmaut celebrations. Every year, my love for the land of Israel grew stronger.

At the age of five, I took a family trip to visit Israel for the first time. My experience was fantastic. While I may not have understood the true significance or meaning of the locations I was visiting, I enjoyed myself nonetheless. Five years later, I was blessed with my second trip to the holy land, once again with my family. This experience was even greater than the first, due to my increase in maturity level, thus resulting in a tremendously more meaningful experience. Little did I know, the best was yet to come – 2 years later I was privileged with a special Pesach trip with my family and friends to Israel for my Hanachat T’fillin. A Friday morning service with my close family and friends at the Kotel highlighted my experiences in the beautiful land of Israel. When I was 16, I partook in the Bnei Akiva Mach Hach program for the greatest 5-week summer experience of my life. I made lifelong friendships with people from all over the US & Canada, and shared a summer full of long-lasting memories.

A list of reasons as to why I wish to make Aliyah would be never-ending. To put it simply – it is where I belong. The land of Israel, the land of the Jewish people. I am a Jew, I have never felt a sense of belonging as much as I have in Israel. A connection with the land and the people who reside in it overpower all else in the world.

Next – the long awaited service. Ever since I was a child, I have envied my father for serving in the magnificent IDF. I’ve always known that I would serve my country, just as (almost) every other Israeli who resides in Israel does. I aspire to be a pilot in the Israeli Air Force (IAF). The three-year training & nine-year service is a commitment I await to serve.

I am a Zionistic Jew with the dream of serving my country in my country. There are so many more reasons as to why I believe I belong in Israel and why I am proud to have finally fulfilled my dream of making Aliyah. The last full month of my life before making Aliyah was spent at Camp Ramah in Canada. While deciding if I should attend the session at camp, I thought, “Perhaps I need to stay home and prepare for aliyah instead.” Looking back at that, I laugh. I now know that there is always more to gain from every new experience. One should never turn down a beautiful opportunity to meet new friends and learn new things! Camp Ramah prepared me mentally for the big task that was ahead. While there, I created bonds with new friends that later supported me while making aliyah. I will never forget the summer I spent at Machane Ramah B’Canada.

Since making Aliyah, I have been learning in a Pre-Military Preparation Academy (Mechina). A mechina is a school where students between the ages of 18-20 come to learn in preparation for their service in the IDF. Bnei David is a mechina located in the beautiful yishuv of Eli. Known for being the first mechina, Bnei David started in 1987 and since then, over 30 new mechinot have branched off. Bnei David is also known theto be the “Harvard of mechinot” for its level of serious learning and intense preparation for the IDF. I have been learning under some of the best scholars, exercising with some of the toughest guys, and studying with the most serious and aspired young men. I look forward to my enlistment and putting my training into action.