From Congo to Samaria: The Story of Ariel and Eliana Limania

by Tzurit Fenigshtein, originally published in Hebrew in Eretz Binyamin, the journal of the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council, edited and translated by Hillel Fendel

After meeting and talking with Ariel and Eliana Limania-Limbo, two new immigrants to Israel from Belgium, I realize that the life choices I have made in my lifetime pale in comparison to those they have made. They are "settlers" living in Eli, just north of Shilo, they are religious, and they are black-skinned – and they still laugh whenever they see the looks of surprise of those who hear their French-accented Hebrew for the first time.

Ariel was born in Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Belgian Congo and Zaire), to an Ashkenazi-Jewish family. He immigrated as a lad with his family to Belgium, where he studied law and served as legal counsel for the Belgian Electric Company. He met Eliana, then a Christian and daughter of a former Belgian Parliament member, in a memorable encounter:

"In the year 2000," Ariel told me, "during the Second Intifada, I took part in a discussion in Belgium with some acquaintances. The basic tone was one of criticism of Israel and its treatment of Palestinians. Eliana was there, but did not join in. When asked her opinion, she said she did not have sufficient information to form an opinion. This impressed me, and I began to talk with her. I learned that her family was Evangelical and loved Israel, and that she had learned the Bible and was drawn to Judaism. Her approach to Israel was positive and forward-looking. When she converted to Judaism before our wedding, this was simply another step up a ladder that had already been in place."

The couple lived in Brussels and had five children, whom they sent to private Jewish schools. This was not as simple as it sounds, as Ariel explains: "As Muslims began moving into Jewish communities, the Jews moved out, leaving the schools behind in the heart of hostile Muslims areas. But despite the dangers, the religious Jews still send their children there, because they want them to receive authentic Jewish education." He added that assimilation is a grave danger in Belgium: 

"Belgium has some 40,000 Jews, including 20,000 in Brussels – precisely where there is the most assimilation."

Ariel's Hebrew is impressive, and he is careful about choosing the right words in order to be understood accurately. For Eliana, speaking Hebrew is somewhat harder, though she seems to understand it perfectly. In any event, it appears that feelings are stronger than words for her, especially when she talks about her decisions to convert, to make Aliyah, and to live in the Shomron. She makes light of the difficulties and dangers, for these choices came straight from her heart. "We came because of faith," she says.

Ariel's decision to come is built more upon logic: "Ideologically, I have long thought that once there is a Jewish state, there is no reason, for the most part, for Jews not to live here. I want to take part in building and advancing the country, and not watch from the outside." On the other hand, "in Belgium, and in Europe in general, Israel's image is one of danger, wars, and terrorism, and with economic difficulties to boot. It wasn't easy to take my family to such a place, without the good jobs that we both had in Belgium, and away from family and friends. These were all prices that we had to take into account."

So how is such a decision made, I ask? "I first came to Israel in 2010," Ariel tells me, "and I volunteered in an IDF base, mainly in order to get to know the people. My experience was very positive. People went out of their way to help me, even without being asked – something I never knew in Belgium. It was very different than what I had been told about Israel, and I felt at home. I later repeated this experience several times – one of my daughters was born in Belgium when I was on an IDF base – and gradually the decision solidified that we would move to Israel."

The situation in Europe made the decision easier: "I began to realize how Islam was taking control in Europe. I believe that there is no future for Jews there."

And finally, from a religious standpoint: "My religious feelings sharpened, and I understood that to be Jewish abroad was merely a matter of religion, while in Israel – it is life."

The family joined a Jewish Agency program called L'Alyah de Groupe, comprising several families wishing to make Aliyah together. Ariel realized that his knowledge of Israel was mainly based on his IDF experiences, and he sought a community in which his family could live and thrive: "In Belgium I met an Israeli friend who invited me to his home in Eli, in central Samaria. I took him up on it, and I was truly entranced by the place, with its historic and Biblical roots, and the special people who lived there. I realized that Israel's PR campaigns have not succeeded in transmitting the beauty, the truth, and the morality that so typifies these areas."

Eliana: "When Ariel returned from his visit to Eli, he told us with shining eyes how he saw children playing on the streets on Shabbat. I also wanted to see a Shabbat without cars. In Brussels, the Jews live in closed neighborhoods, while here there is something free and serene in the air." She wanted to come and check for herself, of course, and came away from her visit with the same positive impressions as her husband: "I didn't think about finances or about security. I knew we could deal with moving to another country, as we had done once before from Congo to Belgium."

Ariel and Eliana found a home in Eli and signed a rental contract, but for technical reasons were forced to delay their arrival in Israel by a year. "I decided to pay the rent for that year anyway," Ariel tells me, "because I didn't want to miss the chance for that house, and I also realized that without the financial commitment, our Aliyah might get pushed off indefinitely."

 Ariel and Eliana made yet another difficult decision: They chose not to tell their children that they were making Aliyah until the very last minute – literally. "We were afraid that the school, which had been losing many children each year, would pressure the children not to leave. And so we took them to the airport as if we were seeing Ariel off on another trip to Israel, and only there did we tell them that we were actually all going to Israel, for good! They were actually very happy and excited about the adventure that lay before them."

Upon arrival, they received their Israeli ID cards even before they left Ben Gurion Airport, together with explanations about their rights and obligations as new immigrants. "It made us feel at home right away," Eliana recalls. From there they went straight to Eli in the Shomron. "Friends and neighbors who knew we were coming came to welcome us, and it was quite moving and exciting."

Then began the difficulties. "The children knew French and Flemish," Ariel tells me, "but no Hebrew. They were made to feel like outsiders, and it was hard for them – making it hard for me as well. They soon learned Hebrew pretty quickly, but learning the culture took them a bit longer. For instance, in Belgium, parents are very involved in the children's lives and watch over them very closely. Here, however, it is very different. Children don't always tell their parents when they go visit a friend. We had to make sure that they told us what they were doing and when they were coming back. It is the job of the parents to provide the proper balance between independence and responsibility."

Eliana gives two other examples: "The children here mark the holiday of Lag BaOmer with large bonfires, which are dangerous for those who are not used to this – such as my children… I also met new immigrants who used to walk alone on Highway 60 [a north-south route more than 200 kilometers long, much of which traverses Judea and Samaria], without taking heed of the security dangers. One has to learn the framework and principles of each place."

In the end, no need to worry: I can report that the children have by now integrated successfully into their respective frameworks in Israel. The oldest is studying in the Yemin Orde Youth Village near Haifa, the second one has begun learning in Yeshivat Pisgat Ze'ev in an Air Force course of study, the next one is in school in nearby Shilo, and the two youngest girls are in elementary school in Eli.

When I asked Ariel if he had encountered any prejudice based on the color of his skin, he recalled some negative experiences at the hands of the Ashkenazi population in Congo. "There is now also a French-speaking Sephardic population," he added, "and they tried to get me to adopt Sephardic traditions. But my family tradition is Ashkenazi, although our skin color changed over the course of a century from light to dark…"

In Israel, he was the victim of some prejudice, though not in the army: "In the IDF I saw Sephardim and Ashkenazim, Ethiopians and Russians, all of them serving together, and I saw no racism at all. But outside the army I have seen some racism. I try to ignore it and view it as marginal. It definitely does not characterize Israel, but it exists."

"When my children are taunted, I teach them what I myself learned at home. I tell them that if someone acts in a racist manner, there are three possibilities. One is that he is simply ignorant and does not know. This is the easy situation, as those who do not know can be taught. A second option is that the person has received misguided education; there is no easy response to this, and it can be exceedingly frustrating, because these are people who refused to be confused by the facts. They are to be pitied, and the only thing we can do is to ignore them. The third possibility is that they are trying to use you and take advantage of you for their own purposes. Every situation of this nature requires careful consideration; you have to be smart."

I asked Eliana about the price she pays in loss of contact with her Christian family. "My  mother accepted my decision to make Aliyah very naturally," Eliana begins, "because she saw how important it was to us. But the rest of my family truly doesn't understand it; they don't get why we want to move to Israel of all places. I know that some of my friends who visited us here have now changed their minds about Israel, and I would like my family to come and see from up close what life is like here. My mother still harbors the hope that I will return, but I think she is beginning to understand that that will not happen. She is very worried about terror attacks and calls us every time she hears something. She only begins to get the picture of how relaxed our lives are when she speaks to our children and they tell her how much fun it is."

Eliana worked in the local baby day-care center in Eli when she and Ariel first arrived, and later started her own little nursery at home. At present, she is the bread-winner, while Ariel is studying. "When I first arrived in Israel, I had a hard time choosing what to study," he recalls. "Financially we not doing perfectly, but we do have some income from abroad, and it was very important to me to learn." Finally, he chose to sign up in Ariel University and study Middle Eastern Studies, with an emphasis on foreign policy, and an Arabic track.

He is quite aware of the difficulty of this course of study, "but I knew that if I would do something easier, it would actually be limiting for me. I don't want to give in to myself or avoid something just because it's hard. Precious things are acquired with hard work."

Along similar lines, "I feel a sense of mission in choosing to live in a unique area with a complex political and security situation. It is important for more and more people to engage in diplomacy and hasbarah [building Israel's image and explaining its case]. Everyone has a task in defending and serving our country. I feel that I must study so that I will have the proper tools to fulfill my role… We are isolated because our message is not getting out, and I feel the obligation to make a difference."

Regarding Judea and Samaria in general, Ariel speaks with fire in his eyes: "Now that the world is increasingly recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital, the next stage is recognition of Judea and Samaria as Israeli territory. This entire area must undergo a major change. There is no hospital here, for instance, and not enough industry, employment or culture. We have to shake things up so that the Binyamin region [southern Samaria, north of Jerusalem] will really get moving. And if the State doesn't do it, then we'll have to establish non-governmental organizations to do it."

"When I was 13, my father told me, 'If you want something, then you can find the way to do it. If you can only see the problems, it means that you don't really want it so much.' My studies have helped me plan out from where to start, where to go, and what to do. We have to be more assertive and dynamic; we have suffered enough."

Continuing to dream aloud, Ariel adds, "Herzl had a vision, and we have fulfilled it. Before his death he said that after our national redemption takes place, he wants to see the African nations achieve independence. Our role is to be a light unto the nations, and not just to be like everyone else. We cannot turn our backs on our unique role. In order to be a light to the nations, Jews have to return to the Land of Israel, and to shine outwards from here. Most of the time it is hard to relate to this because of our everyday difficulties… but I know that the more Jews who are here, the more everything will improve."