Page 58 - issue
P. 58
Journey to Ma’ale Amos
were Zionistic, which didn’t line up with their own beliefs. One
day, while visiting yishuvim with some of his absorption center
friends, Aryeh came across Ma’ale Amos and was impressed
with its simple chareidi lifestyle. Ma’ale Amos is one of the only
chareidi yishuvim in the West Bank and was named after the
PLAYGROUND IN MA’ALE AMOS
BOYS CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES Navi (prophet) Amos, who some say lived in the nearby village
we know today as Tekoa. The fact that it wasn’t too far from
FREE A 347.871.1621 Yerushalayim aroused his interest as well. He was concerned,
though, about the long winding road through the desert
SOOHNVIOEPRRPDI$NE5R0GS mountains leading to the yishuv. At night and in the rain, the
road could be treacherous. Security was another concern
n 1614 AVENUE M, BROOKLYN NY because of the potentially hostile Arab villages nearby.
Shoshana later went to Ma’ale Amos with some other
women, and describes her impressions: “We pulled up to the
gate. I looked around and saw the sky, the fresh air, and the
view. I saw the children during recess and everything seemed
so wholesome.” She appreciated that the school was within
walking distance for the children. In contrast to Israel’s usual
class sizes of about 40 children per class, the small class sizes
of five to ten children in Ma’ale Amos classes was very refresh-
ing for Shoshana.
The heimish atmosphere among the approximately 50 fam-
ilies on the yishuv made Shoshana feel that she would find a
family substitute there. The Weinbergs also hoped that,
because of the community’s small size, they wouldn’t get lost
but would be able to become active community members. In
Baltimore, Aryeh had been treasurer of Rav Feldman’s shul
and on the board of P’TACH. Shoshana edited and wrote for
P’TACH’s newsletter and, at one point, for the Bais Yaakov PTA
as well. In Ma’ale Amos, too, they felt that they would have
opportunities to make a difference.
Another thing that the Weinbergs liked about Ma’ale Amos
was that it is a Hebrew-speaking Israeli yishuv with some Anglo
families as well. This would guarantee that their kids would
speak Hebrew fluently and integrate into Israeli life, which
doesn’t happen as easily in majority Anglo communities. Since
54 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
were Zionistic, which didn’t line up with their own beliefs. One
day, while visiting yishuvim with some of his absorption center
friends, Aryeh came across Ma’ale Amos and was impressed
with its simple chareidi lifestyle. Ma’ale Amos is one of the only
chareidi yishuvim in the West Bank and was named after the
PLAYGROUND IN MA’ALE AMOS
BOYS CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES Navi (prophet) Amos, who some say lived in the nearby village
we know today as Tekoa. The fact that it wasn’t too far from
FREE A 347.871.1621 Yerushalayim aroused his interest as well. He was concerned,
though, about the long winding road through the desert
SOOHNVIOEPRRPDI$NE5R0GS mountains leading to the yishuv. At night and in the rain, the
road could be treacherous. Security was another concern
n 1614 AVENUE M, BROOKLYN NY because of the potentially hostile Arab villages nearby.
Shoshana later went to Ma’ale Amos with some other
women, and describes her impressions: “We pulled up to the
gate. I looked around and saw the sky, the fresh air, and the
view. I saw the children during recess and everything seemed
so wholesome.” She appreciated that the school was within
walking distance for the children. In contrast to Israel’s usual
class sizes of about 40 children per class, the small class sizes
of five to ten children in Ma’ale Amos classes was very refresh-
ing for Shoshana.
The heimish atmosphere among the approximately 50 fam-
ilies on the yishuv made Shoshana feel that she would find a
family substitute there. The Weinbergs also hoped that,
because of the community’s small size, they wouldn’t get lost
but would be able to become active community members. In
Baltimore, Aryeh had been treasurer of Rav Feldman’s shul
and on the board of P’TACH. Shoshana edited and wrote for
P’TACH’s newsletter and, at one point, for the Bais Yaakov PTA
as well. In Ma’ale Amos, too, they felt that they would have
opportunities to make a difference.
Another thing that the Weinbergs liked about Ma’ale Amos
was that it is a Hebrew-speaking Israeli yishuv with some Anglo
families as well. This would guarantee that their kids would
speak Hebrew fluently and integrate into Israeli life, which
doesn’t happen as easily in majority Anglo communities. Since
54 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
