From Cleveland to the City of David: An American Olah's Literary Love Letter to Baka

In a powerful testament to the enduring bond between the Jewish diaspora and the eternal city of Jerusalem, Judy Lev, an American immigrant who made aliyah in the transformative aftermath of the 1967 Six Day War, has penned a remarkable anthology celebrating one of Jerusalem's most beloved neighborhoods.

"Bethlehem Road: Stories of Immigration and Exile" is far more than a collection of short stories. It stands as a literary monument to the courage and determination of those who answered the ancient call to return to Zion, particularly the wave of American Jews who chose to build their lives in the liberated capital following Israel's miraculous victory in 1967.

A Neighborhood Reborn from Victory

Lev's 12 interconnected stories begin in the immediate aftermath of the Six Day War, as the Baka neighborhood recovered from Jordanian shelling and transformed into a vibrant community for new immigrants. This timing is no coincidence, it represents the renewal and rebirth that defines the Israeli spirit.

The neighborhood itself embodies Israel's complex history. Originally built by wealthy Christian and Muslim Arabs in the 1920s, Baka became home to waves of Jewish immigrants after 1948, creating a living testament to the Jewish people's return to their ancestral homeland.

"There's something about this neighborhood," Lev explains. "All the needs are supplied. You have everything. The combination of having buildings that are part commercial and then residential, the mixture is just fabulous."

From American Dreams to Israeli Reality

When Lev arrived as a young university graduate, she joined thousands of American Jews who recognized that Israel's stunning victory in 1967 marked a pivotal moment in Jewish history. She trained as a social worker through a special 13-month program designed for new immigrants, demonstrating Israel's commitment to absorbing and integrating olim.

Her neighbors represented the beautiful tapestry of Jewish return: Holocaust survivors, families displaced from the Old City as Jerusalem expanded, and fellow Americans who traded names like John, Simon, Helen, Dick, and Bonnie for life alongside sabras named Ovadia, Bracha, Boaz, and Oren.

The stories capture unforgettable characters: Doda Rosa selling candy from her shack, "the Bulgarian guy" with his chicken stand, and Oved's legendary falafel shop on Bethlehem Road, which continues to serve the community today under new ownership.

The Eternal Immigrant Experience

Now 80, Lev offers profound insights into the immigrant experience that resonates with every oleh and olah. "Not every story is about being an immigrant, but the majority of them are, because it's so true. For most of your life, you feel like an immigrant, but then there are moments where you don't."

Her observation touches on a fundamental truth of aliyah: the complex relationship between leaving one's birthplace and coming home to the Jewish homeland. "I have a very close relationship between immigration and exile," she reflects. "Many people immigrate, and they feel like they're in exile from their original home. So you feel like you're in exile, but you're told you're in your home."

This tension, beautifully captured in her writing, speaks to the spiritual journey every Jew faces when returning to Eretz Yisrael after nearly two millennia of diaspora.

A Literary Bridge Between Worlds

Lev's journey from a Cleveland university graduate to a Jerusalem Post columnist and creative writing instructor at Bar-Ilan University exemplifies the successful integration that defines modern Israel. Her work, including stories published in prestigious publications like The Kenyon Review, bridges American literary tradition with Israeli experience.

The book's structure, divided into "Immigration," "Settling Down," "Family Life," and "Dispersion," mirrors not just Lev's personal journey but the broader arc of Jewish return to the homeland. Even after leaving Baka for Beit Zayit, Tel Aviv, and later Haifa, she admits it took "five years to grieve for Baka."

Today, as Israel continues to welcome new immigrants and strengthen its position as the thriving Jewish state, stories like Lev's remind us of the pioneers who helped build modern Jerusalem, one neighborhood, one family, one dream at a time.