Fewer than six years ago, Doug Altabef was living in Westchester, New York, and was a senior partner in a Manhattan-based boutique money management firm. Today, he lives with his wife and their youngest of four children in Rosh Pina, Israel, and is a board member of a number of Israeli NGOs, including the Israel Independence Fund (IIF) and Im Tirtzu.

The Altabefs had a comfortable life in New York, and their decision to make Aliyah was not a trivial one – their three eldest children stayed in the States. But, Altabef explains, “There is life, and then there is seeking greater meaning in life,” adding, “The American dream is a wonderful dream, but it’s maybe not the ultimate dream. And maybe the ultimate dream is not one that’s founded on material things, but one that’s founded on meaningfulness in one’s life.”

Altabef tells host Rogel Alpher that the opportunity to raise their youngest daughter as an Israeli and the desire to contribute to the building of a young country were enough to persuade the family to make the move.

Playlist:

The Isley Brothers – This Old Heart Of Mine
Al Jolson – Toot Toot Tootsie Goodbye
Carole King – Been To Canaan
Gali Atari – Ma She’at Ohevet