From Holocaust to Rebirth - Both as a Nation and a Soul

I am a second generation born in America into a family of Holocaust survivors. I grew up in Bayside, NY where I lived till I made Aliyah 40 years ago today on my 28th birthday to realize my dream.

When I was a child my parents came to visit Israel and brought me a picture book full of young smiling faces from Israel. Seeing so many smiling Jewish faces was new to me. It looked like a place being Jewish could bring you pride not fear.

It was where I wanted to be but did not really know where that place was. Then in December 1973, instead of a sweet sixteen party, my mom decided to take me on my first trip to Israel. Yes, the war was barely over and we were here.

We came for 10 days and visited all the usual sights they take families to who visit Israel.

We stayed at Kibbutz Ayelet HaShachar where I saw all the IDF Jewish soldiers- yes defending our country not just being mowed down into a mass grave as my paternal grandparents had been in Ponar and uncle in Worninay (Vilna region) and my mother’s family in Izbica (Lublin region)during the Holocaust.

It was there where I looked out into the distance and caught a glimpse of the Kinneret, when I told my mother that I would make Israel my home. She quickly told me that I had flies in my head.

The first thing I did when I got home was to paint my room blue and white. While other teens were listening to age and culture appropriate music, I only listened to Hebrew, Israeli music and played Hebrew songs on the piano and accordion.

I must admit that I did not understand a word of what I heard or read. True, I had gone to Hebrew school, learned how to read prayers in Hebrew from a Siddur but I never really understood anything.

I really wanted to serve in the army more than anything so I had told my mother I would go to Israel after I had finished high school and then go to the army. She convinced me to stay, go to college and then we would see.

And so it was, I learned about Israel, tried to learn Hebrew dated only people who loved Israel, went to all the demonstrations and pro-Israel rallies and awaited the day for my Aliyah to Israel.

I married someone who also wanted to make Aliyah and needed to finish his studies so yet again the move was delayed. My daughter was born in 1981 then my son was born in 1983 time was ticking. My father passed away in May 1983 and his coffin had an Israeli flag draped over it in the chapel.

Despite the fact that my parents were ardent supporters of the State of Israel donating a lot to UJA and Israel Bonds they never came here to live.

My father had dreamed of retiring half a year to Israel but he died before he could make that dream of his come true. I vowed that I would never be buried with my dreams and would do everything to make my dreams come true.

But my husband, who was also a second generation to Holocaust survivor parents and had planned to make Aliyah, was barely out of his first year after finishing his residency.

I always knew that America was not my home and that place in that little picture book held the home for my Jewish soul and my dreams.

That trip to Israel with my mother in 1973 was the first step on the path to making it happen. The next step was in 1985 President Regan went to a cemetery in Bitburg, Germany to pay his respects.

This was a very controversial visit as there were members of the SS also buried there. Well, that visit pushed all my ‘unsafe’ buttons and I told my husband I was taking the kids and leaving America for ‘home’ making Aliyah with or without him.

The children and I took a week long pilot trip shortly after that and made reservations at the Absorption Center in Raanana for my 28th birthday, March 17th 1986.

We would arrive then so I could be born again here. I came back put my house on the market, packed up, my husband and I took the kids, burned all the bridges.

There was no plan b for a dream. So we arrived, I still had not managed to learn any Hebrew but in 1988 I did give birth to the first Jewish baby in our family in 2000 years to be born in our homeland.

I have children here and 6 out of 7 of my grandchildren were born here. I saw my daughter and son serve in the army although I had not had the honor to do that.

That was always part of my dream that I had not realized so the first thing I did when I retired from 33 years of teaching English was to volunteer in the Sar-el Army Volunteer program.

I have fulfilled the final part of my dream. I wake up every morning knowing that I have been living my dream everyday for 40 years. Now how many people can say that?

Beverly Chazan