Page 62 - issue
P. 62
Journey to Efrat
provide excellent services for children with special needs.
Efrat has numerous shopping venues. It has doctor clinics
as well as a model Terem emergency center. Around the cor-
ner from the Jaffees is a library, matnas (community center),
and makolet (small grocery). A short distance away from their
home are larger grocery stores, a post office, clothing stores,
and a shoe store. The only thing Efrat lacks is a bank,
although they do have an ATM machine. People either go to
Alon Shvut or Yerushalayim. Depending on traffic, it is only
15 minutes away by car to the city’s outskirts. The Jaffees
often shop at a makolet they like in Neve Daniel, and since
Mr. Jaffee visits his son who is learning in Har Nof once a
week, he does some discount shopping in Yerushalayim’s
large Osher Ad store as well.
I wonder about the safety of the residents in Efrat. The
Jaffees inform me that there are many security cameras and
a guard’s booth at the entrance of the yishuv. B”H, things are
reasonably safe, with the surrounding Arab villages fairly
peaceful with their Israeli neighbors. Upon entering Alon
Shvut, however, deeper in the Gush, Mrs. Jaffee sometimes
feels as though she’s entering a war zone. The road leading
up to the town has concrete stands on either side, with elite
soldiers on guard with drawn out rifles. The large grocery
store, Rami Levi, where there was an incident not long ago,
also has soldiers on guard. Mrs. Jaffee usually drives in when
needed, but says, “Sometimes I get sick of the stress, and I
say I’m taking a break.”
But Mr. Jaffee explains that it’s one of the things you just
get used to. He describes the incomparable feeling of living
in this place so important in our tradition. “From the Neve
Daniel lookout, you can see the hills of Moav. From there, the
famed Rus accompanied her mother-in-law Naomi down the
Jordan valley, crossed the river, and climbed the mountains
to Efrat.” Indeed, the Jaffees feel they are living in the foot-
steps of our heritage.
◆◆◆
The transition to Efrat was thankfully a smooth one for
the Jaffees, and for this they consider themselves fortunate.
The town sponsors a coordinator and support system to help
new olim, providing all kinds of services, including arranging
trips to get to know the area. The coordinator even found a
tutor to study Ivrit with Mrs. Jaffee free of charge! Upon
arrival, both the Jaffees spoke basic Ivrit. They went together
three days a week for government ulpan but burned out
shortly after beginning because they found it too academic
and old fashioned. Mr. Jaffee then found a few other great
ulpans, including Ulpan Morasha in Yerushalayim, which is
considered to be one of the best ulpans in the countries. By
now, the Jaffees are definitely more conversational and
recently hosted Mrs. Jaffee’s Ivrit tutor and family for a shab-
bos meal and were able to converse only in Ivrit.
The Jaffees are also grateful that their children are not too
far away. Their daughter is married to an American Israeli
58 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
provide excellent services for children with special needs.
Efrat has numerous shopping venues. It has doctor clinics
as well as a model Terem emergency center. Around the cor-
ner from the Jaffees is a library, matnas (community center),
and makolet (small grocery). A short distance away from their
home are larger grocery stores, a post office, clothing stores,
and a shoe store. The only thing Efrat lacks is a bank,
although they do have an ATM machine. People either go to
Alon Shvut or Yerushalayim. Depending on traffic, it is only
15 minutes away by car to the city’s outskirts. The Jaffees
often shop at a makolet they like in Neve Daniel, and since
Mr. Jaffee visits his son who is learning in Har Nof once a
week, he does some discount shopping in Yerushalayim’s
large Osher Ad store as well.
I wonder about the safety of the residents in Efrat. The
Jaffees inform me that there are many security cameras and
a guard’s booth at the entrance of the yishuv. B”H, things are
reasonably safe, with the surrounding Arab villages fairly
peaceful with their Israeli neighbors. Upon entering Alon
Shvut, however, deeper in the Gush, Mrs. Jaffee sometimes
feels as though she’s entering a war zone. The road leading
up to the town has concrete stands on either side, with elite
soldiers on guard with drawn out rifles. The large grocery
store, Rami Levi, where there was an incident not long ago,
also has soldiers on guard. Mrs. Jaffee usually drives in when
needed, but says, “Sometimes I get sick of the stress, and I
say I’m taking a break.”
But Mr. Jaffee explains that it’s one of the things you just
get used to. He describes the incomparable feeling of living
in this place so important in our tradition. “From the Neve
Daniel lookout, you can see the hills of Moav. From there, the
famed Rus accompanied her mother-in-law Naomi down the
Jordan valley, crossed the river, and climbed the mountains
to Efrat.” Indeed, the Jaffees feel they are living in the foot-
steps of our heritage.
◆◆◆
The transition to Efrat was thankfully a smooth one for
the Jaffees, and for this they consider themselves fortunate.
The town sponsors a coordinator and support system to help
new olim, providing all kinds of services, including arranging
trips to get to know the area. The coordinator even found a
tutor to study Ivrit with Mrs. Jaffee free of charge! Upon
arrival, both the Jaffees spoke basic Ivrit. They went together
three days a week for government ulpan but burned out
shortly after beginning because they found it too academic
and old fashioned. Mr. Jaffee then found a few other great
ulpans, including Ulpan Morasha in Yerushalayim, which is
considered to be one of the best ulpans in the countries. By
now, the Jaffees are definitely more conversational and
recently hosted Mrs. Jaffee’s Ivrit tutor and family for a shab-
bos meal and were able to converse only in Ivrit.
The Jaffees are also grateful that their children are not too
far away. Their daughter is married to an American Israeli
58 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
