I hope you all enjoyed your bokser. As we trudge through the thick of winter here and there is not much going on, I thought I would take this chance to update you on some of the things I have written about in the past. These updates would not warrant an individual column, but taken as a whole they give you a more current picture of how things are doing here.
Since becoming Israelis, our family has only known Israel in a state of drought. I have written about the water crisis several times, and earlier this year reported on the terrific November that we had, the best November in years.
Well, as good as November was, that is how bad December was, with almost no rain at all. By the end of 2011, the Kineret (being the source of around 40% of the water used in Israel, the Kineret level is the leading indicator of water supply status) had only gained 11 cm. from the year’s low, and the water authority was cautiously warning that we could still face a disaster.
What a difference a month makes. January was, especially in the North, one of the best Januarys on record. In most areas, rain was recorded on 26 days of the month (a record) and in others there was rain on 29 days of the month (also a record). The Kineret rose 54 cm. in the month, and it was the third-highest rise by February 1 in the last ten years.
As I write, the Kineret is up 73 cm. so far this season, and the best news is that it passed the Lower Red Line (an imaginary line that indicates a level above which normal usage will not bring the lake down to dangerous levels before the next rainy season) on February 5. We all know that the rains could end here, which would be very bad for us. But, without a good opening to the season, it would be impossible to have a good closing to the season from now through May.
So we thank you for your continued tefillah for rain here. We are still more than 400 cm. from the lake being replenished and considered “full,” so there is still a long way to go.
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As I am sure most of you are aware, despite their pre-election estimation that anything below 80% of the vote would be a failure for Prime Minister Netanyahu, he declared overwhelming victory with 77% of the vote. The commentators are talking about the second straight strong showing for Feiglin, and despite my personal distaste for casting a “message vote,” mine was a part of many other votes cast for similar purposes. Hopefully the PM will regain my vote with a stronger stand on land and understanding where to draw lines, including domestic issues (such as housing in Bet Shemesh).
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The Katz kids are doing well. In fact, in a recent discussion with his mother, Chaim (our oldest at 20 and currently a senior in YU) commented, “Your making aliyah was the best thing that you could have done for your children, even me.”
I kid you not. The kid that was least positive about the move (putting it gently) and had the toughest time emotionally adjusting now says it was terrific for him. Think of this the next time you hear someone say that aliyah with teens is doomed to failure. Like many other things, this “truism” is simply not true.
Chaim essentially finished high school after grade 10 and learned in yeshiva (an American program at Yesodei HaTorah) for two post-high school years before YU. And he will graduate college (having done shanah bet) at 21, a year ahead of most of his peers. He is planning on working next year (my wallet is sincerely grateful to him for that) and then entering law school.
Chaya is thriving in nursing school, which I have written about. She is getting great grades and has finally “left home,” staying quite comfortably in the dorms even on nights in which (were she younger) she might have come home.
Aliza, Batya, Mordechai, and Moshe are all doing well in their schools. The major hurdles of adjustment are behind us. They are integrated and need no more special attention as olim than any other English-speaker. Which is a major achievement, even if it is five years plus since our arrival.
That is not to say there are not constant challenges with each and every kid. Let’s stay real here. Child-rearing is a major challenge every step of the way. The choices and opportunities that arise for each child are extremely challenging, and it is only with G‑d’s help that anything positive is accomplished. That doesn’t change no matter where you live.
What I am saying is that those challenges are by and large the ones we generally deal with here. For the most part we no longer have to worry about the kids’ acclimation to the system here. They are there.

Shmuel Katz, his wife Goldie, and their six children made aliyah in July of 2006. Prior to his aliyah, Shmuel was the executive director of the Yeshiva of South Shore in Hewlett. You can contact him at shmuel@katzfamily.co.il.