Shout it from the rooftops: Leora’s Engaged!

The Fairytale of Princess Leora and her Handsome Prince Ariel:

Once upon a time there lived a girl named Leora. After 2 decades of residing in America, she decided to leave her homeland for a new adventure and moved to Israel: the land of milk and honey and lots of Jewish men. 2 months after landing in these new surroundings she found herself at a lavish banquet, known to the commoners as a BBQ, where she first laid eyes on Ariel, a prince from Jerusalem. Little did she know what she was getting herself into when asked for her number.

Date led to date and the days past while Ariel and Leora toured through his wondrous kingdom. He took her on trips north and south and spent hour after hour telling her tales, making her laugh and spoiling her with love and attention. One day Ariel left on a long journey to India and upon his return, decided to leave his birthplace to brave the big city of Tel Aviv with Leora. Months past and their love grew stronger. One day the prince decided to make Leora his princess and presented her with a ring more beautiful than all of the jewels in his kingdom. As the tears streamed down her face, Leora managed to squeak out a “yes” to the ultimate question. And then they lived happily ever after. . .

Fast forward a few thousand years:
Did you here the latest gossip? Shout it from the rooftops: Leora’s Engaged!

Telling the world you are engaged is full of social politics and lots of late night phone calls. You of course want to tell the entire world, but how do you inform them all at once before they find out from someone else? I reckon that engagement is among the juiciest gossip there is and I can’t help but think of a picture from Normal Rockwell, appropriately titled “Gossip.” It was a challenge to leave friends and family messages with the underlying message of “call me back NOW,” but without using the words “engaged, fiancé or ring. I have now given up this endeavor and instead, have resorted to the most public form of announcement that I know- my blog.

Aliyah Checklist- Engagement:

Over this past year I have often times felt like I was in the Truman Show. Things were working out so well for me that I thought something must be fixed. Before you make aliyah, the Jewish Authority has a checklist of documents you must hand in and papers you must sign before you can get Israeli citizenship. I remember physically checking off each item as I completed it. Then when I moved to Israel I felt like I was continuing to check off the list, but this time with much bigger milestones:

3 weeks in Israel I found my first apartment- check
5 weeks in Israel I found met my boyfriend- check
7 weeks in Israel I found a great job- check
1 year and 2 months in Israel- I got engaged.

I wish that every new olah can have the same luck and fairly tale.