Things are very different for me here in Jerusalem ten years later. I am now married with three kids. I have been very blessed and fortunate in the time I have been here. Now that I am in this new phase of life the challenges are even more apparent. Making enough money, dealing with Israelis and their kids, the schools, cost of living etc. just to name a few. Still I maintain that Israel is first and foremost a value and not simply a choice. A person can choose anything he wants. Where he wants to live, what he wants to do, who he wants to do it with etc. It is all open and available. It is after all, a choice.
A value on the other hand tends to be difficult and can even be a lifelong process. Yet we sacrifice for values because it’s what we believe and what we want deep down. Israel is a value worth struggling for. It doesn’t have to be perceived as a struggle, but if it is, then that’s ok too. The future of the Jewish people will unfold here. It is our destiny, it is our promise, it is our hope. I would like to thank God, my wife and family and all those friends who have made these last ten years the best years of my life. For those not yet here and those who left all I can say is make the effort to come home. The best is yet to come.
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Michael Berezin is originally from Brooklyn NY. He is a Fitness Trainer/Therapist based in Jerusalem.