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“My Journey To Jersusalem-guest blogger for Sherri Rosen Publicity, Joelle Bohadana

Say hello to our guest blogger, Joelle Bohadana. I work with people all over the world and in the USA, and I believe it’s important to share different points of view. I may not
agree with what different folks believe in, but I do respect other folks’ beliefs and I want this blog to be a platform where they can share their personal experiences and beliefs. Here is Joelle’s personal experience. Joelle was born and grew up in Montreal. A few years ago when she was in college she reached out to me to come to NYC to become my intern here at Sherri Rosen Publicity Intl, NYC. The moment we met, there was a powerful connection which remains no matter where she or I are in the world. Many times she and I have not agreed with one another, especially when it comes to religion, but we have always agreed to disagree. We love one another and are able to share our different points of view. She has kindly offered to share her journey with you.
My Journey to Jerusalem – Tuning into God’s Message

When I got married a year and a half ago, I knew that I wanted to start off my new life with a bang. Always searching for something more, my husband and I shied away from the predictable marriage routine of my community – settling in a nice apartment, finding a great job and starting a family. We decided to opt for something a little different- something that would end up enriching and changing the course of our lives forever. The Jewish tradition holds a very unique, dear place for the first year of a couple’s marriage. Essentially, it’s seen as a core building period for the foundation of a couple’s married life. Since we decided that our lives should be lead by a spiritual rather than a materialistic focus, we did what many other Orthodox Jewish couples do during their first year of marriage- we moved to Jerusalem. The plan was that my husband would learn in Yeshiva (rabbinical school), while I would finish my degree at a scholarship I received to obtain my Masters in Media Communication at the New School, NYC (online), work and attend seminary in order to gain wisdom and inspiration that would carry me through the rest of our lives.

Boy was I in for a surprise. My first months in Israel involved juggling a very stressful real estate position, the pressure to keep up with school, the new adjustments of being a wife, and of course, the blessings of extreme morning sickness due to pregnancy. The icing on the cake of my new life was when I gave birth to my son at 6.5 months. What could have been a tragedy ended up turning into a great miracle. My precious son whose fate was gloomy at birth is now; thank G-D a completely healthy, smiley, sociable baby. You would never know that he was born at 6.5 months.

Our first year of marriage took us completely by surprise. Our goal in moving to Jerusalem was to forge an unbreakable bond with G-D and work on refining our character traits, in order to become the best versions of ourselves. What I learned is that if you’re seeking a deep, everlasting relationship with the Almighty, it has to be on His terms and not yours. You have to let go of the control you think you have of the situation, and let Him teach you the way that is best for you. If you tune into His message, you can grow and stretch your muscles in ways you never thought you could. You can tap into strength you never knew existed.

Do I miss the ease of life and physical comforts of Canada? Yes. But would I redo my first year of marriage here? Never. Jerusalem, in its diversity of people and in its strength of character and values has taught me to set aside my ego and let something much greater than I guide me through life.

My blessing to my readers is that we should each find our unique purpose and journey in life, whether it is to Jerusalem or elsewhere. We should gain the strength to tap into ourselves and fulfill our unique potential in this world.

The first photo is Joelle visiting with one of the nurses that took care of her son while he was in the hospital. Second photo is Joelle with her husband. Third photo is Joelle with mum.

Joelle & Nurse-IMG_0843Joelle & Husband-IMG_0993joelle and mama

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This entry was posted on Sunday, March 23rd, 2014 at 4:14 am and is filed under Friends and Colleagues. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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