Coming to America Was a Moving Experience - Orly Shalem

Growing up on Sde Yoav, a kibbutz in south-central Israel between Beersheva and Ashkelon, Orly Shalem was used to laboring long hours for little pay.

“Coming from a country like Israel, we are used to working hard,” says Shalem, who co-owns Orly Moving Systems, a 25-year-old, Pikesville-based company, with her husband, Yair “Ron” Shalem. “On a kibbutz, I never worked for money. In the U.S., I was able to earn money. I just wanted to succeed. The moving business is one where you can start small and then build yourself up.”

The irony of owning a successful moving company is not lost on Shalem, whose family emigrated from Tunisia to France, and subsequently to Israel. After serving two years in the Israel Defense Forces, Shalem came to the United States in 1989 when she was 23.

“All soldiers like to travel after the army,” says Orly, now 50, who worked as an au pair for a family in New Jersey when initially arriving in the U.S.

After meeting her Israeli-born husband in Boston, the couple settled in Maryland to be closer to his family.

“My husband named the company after me before we were married,” says Shalem, who notes that people sometimes think she is French because her first name is the same as the Paris airport.

The Shalems live in Pikesville and have three children, ages 14, 21 and 23.

Even though Shalem has spent nearly half her life in the U.S., she remains firmly committed to the Jewish state and to her Israeli identity.

“My whole house is an Israeli house,” says Shalem, who currently serves as president of the Jewish National Fund’s Baltimore and Delaware regional office. “It has hamsas and lots of Jewish-Israeli accessories. I only do Israeli cooking. We observe all Jewish holidays in the Israeli way. Everything we do is in Hebrew.”

Having an Israeli-American home also means having an open door policy for guests, she says.

“It was tough getting used to learning to call people first before visiting,” says Orly. “My house is always open. Many times, people just stop by. If I am doing something, it can wait 30 minutes.”

Staying connected to Israel means frequently returning to visit family and friends, most importantly her son Dean, 21, who made aliyah and is serving in the IDF.

“Dean was always asking why we moved to the U.S.,” says Orly. “He wanted to live in Israel. He loved every time we went there. As a soldier serving in an elite unit, he wishes we will live in Israel. But we are not prepared to do it. …

“Everybody always thought it was so awesome that I immigrated and started a successful company,” says Shalem. “The U.S. opened its doors to us. We are grateful to be here.”