Appreciating the Little Things

I passed my driving test! In manual! It felt so good to have that weight lifted off my shoulders. I'm so happy to be finished with one hurdle so that I can now move on to other challenges that Aliyah has to offer.

Other than my driving test this was a very busy academic week. In addition to the mid-Ulpan exam I had to speak in front of the class and write a formal full-page letter. Speaking in front of the class was interesting because it made me feel as if I were back in a classroom teaching, and it felt great.

I wasn't assigned a specific topic from my speech, so I had an unlimited amount of options at my disposal. I thought for a significant amount of time about possible topics because I wanted to choose something that would apply to and interest everyone in the class. In the end I choose to speak about what everyone in the Ulpan always talks about, the thing that gives us the most joy and the most problems: finding a significant other.

My classmates gave me a ton of positive feedback which made me feel great. I did my best to relate the issue of finding a partner to Aliyah and Judaism, and attempted to discuss the relationship between the Israeli culture and Judaism to the importance of building a family. It had been a while since I stood in front of a class and spoke, and it felt wonderful to do what I was trained to do as a teacher.

My week came to an end with the mid-Ulpan exam. I dreaded this exam because my performance on Ulpan exams thus far has been less then exemplary to put in in very formal English, and this exam covered everything that we learned in the first three months of Ulpan. After studying for four hours with two of my classmates I finally understood a couple of difficult concepts, and I went into the exam with a newfound confidence. I know I didn't absolutely ace the exam, but it felt great to finally understand some very difficult topics (smichut and smichut cfulah for you ulpaners).

All of these occurrences seem routine, but for me it felt amazing to get my driver's license in manual, to lead an enticing discussion, and to finally understand formerly difficult concepts in Hebrew. I think it's important for all Olim to feel great about accomplishments similar to mine. Be happy everyday and cherish your forward strides no matter how small they may seem. Aliyah is a process, and I think it's crucial for Olim to stay positive and to always continue to progress and grow as Israelis.