Where's the Krechtz?

I'm reading an interesting book called "In One Era, Out the Other" by Kaufman (Mekor Press).  In one section he describes the thought process that led him to make aliya.  In short, he saw no justification to live elsewhere.  I've written on this subject here.

There was a line that caught my attention.  He writes about the explanations people provide as to why they still live outside of Eretz Yisrael and then says, "What has perplexed me, though, is that I have never heard a krechtz, a sigh, an air of genuine wistfulness, a deeply felt yearning to be living in Eretz Yisrael."

I knew what he means since I don't recall hearing that sentiment either and this is even though I had close relatives living there.  Our life was here and Eretz Yisrael was the stuff of news items, stories, school subjects, and songs.  I think it was like Rosie wrote in a comment to that earlier post, we expected that all Jews would go to Eretz Yisrael with the coming of Moshiach.  And sadly, I must say in retrospect, it wasn't something for which we were plotzing, apparently, since it wasn't something we spoke about with a sigh, with a wistfulness, with a yearning.