Her list is short but typical of many immigrants to Israel – the pain of leaving family members behind, trying to learn the ropes in a new country, finding the right place for her family to live, and helping her children acclimate to a new culture.
Friend to the Lone Yiddish Mamas
Then there are the people Jamie has touched. Geller’s success has not only brought her to the forefront of kosher cooking, but has made her a role model for Jewish women around the world. On her Joy of Aliyah blog, a fan calling herself the “lone Yiddish mama” thanked Geller for inspiring her to cook kosher food and come closer to Judaism:
“I have been your “fan” for a while…YOU have helped me out so many a time with yom tov and Shabbos dinners.. I live totally isolated from anything Jewish..including Kosher food stores…so needless to say many of your lovely yummy “quic” recipes have become “not so quick” for me, but still fantastic..because you gave me the desire and will to “JUST DO IT”! AND now with this new chapter of your life..Aliyah..Well it’s gotten me to thinking.. who knows?? If “our” Jamie can leave her world where it was already easier to be Jewish compared to where we live..well…B”H there’s a Yiddish light at the end of tunnel for us too!”
But it took time for Geller to adopt the enthusiastic and ideological approach she now has toward leaving America in favor of a life in Israel. Yet with her newfound clarity has come a sense of confusion.
“Why are we ignoring this mitzvah?” Geller asked. “If we come to it from a religious perspective, a religious person is going to keep kosher, they’re going to keep Shabbat, why are they not going to live in the land of Israel? There are certain things that are deal breakers, and this one for some reason, didn’t make it. “
“You Have to be Almost Spiritually Dead”
While she did not criticize Jews who have not yet chosen to make aliyah, and empathized with the fears associated with the major step, she said “I think you have to be almost spiritually dead if you actually have the opportunity to get to Israel and it doesn’t affect you in a profound way at least…“
With her celebrity and production know-how, Jamie was an ideal figure to help Nefesh b’Nefesh spread the message of aliyah. So while Jamie is receiving the assistance all eligible aliyah applicants receive from the organization, she is not just a client, she’s also a spokesperson.
Beginning with the Nefesh B’Nefesh Tweetup at which she made her announcement, Geller has dedicated all of her multimedia resources to sharing the Joy of Aliyah with her readers, viewers, and social media followers. “I just couldn’t let this move to Israel, our decision to make aliyah, to not make a statement with it and not do something that could hopefully empower, excite, inspire other people who are on the cusp or even just for some reason… aren’t thinking about it. I would love to start that conversation for them,” she said.
Plug-and-Play Aliyah
Geller praises Nefesh B’Nefesh, the organization assisting her, her family, and the 359 Jews on the August 14 charter flight from New York, saying it has made the technicalities of aliyah “plug-and-play”. She also encouraged followers to check out her Joy of Aliyah videos – made in coordination with Nefesh b’Nefesh – on the Joy of Kosher website. Upcoming episodes will include the family’s final day in America, their arrival, and the first 48 hours in Israel.
Beyond the fame, Geller is a real mom who is “just trying to get food on the table”and is now embarking on a new, and very real, adventure. Yet she continues to inspire precisely because her realness shows through. On her blog, she wrote back to Yiddish Mama:
“I didn’t grow up religious, I didn’t grow up kosher… I have become so far away from what I ever thought or dreamed. And I am thankful to Hashem for that fact everyday. The last few years I struggled with this decision. I had so much fear, so much apprehension. I was NEVER going to move to Israel. Never. This was so NOT me. And you know… after a lot of struggle I am now so at peace with the decision… I wish you incredible brachos to continue to be a pillar wherever you are (WHERE ARE YOU?!?) and hope that you will join us in Israel. L’Shana Habba B’Yerushalayim. My husband always said/says we should mean that and this year when we said it, we did.”