Aliyah to Israel ?

B"H

Exactly two weeks ago, the Nefesh Be' Nefesh Bloggers Convention took place in Jerusalem. Although I enjoyed myself, there was one thing bothering me quite a lot.

The vast majority of the bloggers attending the convention was national religious. I have nothing against national religious but their kind of being national religious was different from the ordinary Israeli way. Those Bloggers were Amercian national religious - mostly from the Gush Etzion or Samaria (Shomron) area. From settlement located around Jerusalem.

Although I don't necessarily look haredi, I do identify myself with many ideologies within haredi society. What I am trying to say is that these American national religious were just too much for me and, therefore, I didn't really participate in socializing.
Most participants seemed to know each other anyway. At least from common link lists and comments. They all were rather acting like a clique and when Nefesh Be' Nefesh promoted Aliyah, I seriously thought about explaining the other point of view: the anti - Zionist movement. But I am considering this desire as a possible revenge attack to the present national religious who got up and gave Netanyahu standing ovations. Israelis, however, wouldn't have done so, as it was the Netanyahu government returning Hebron to the Palestinians.

Nevertheless, I want to explain my modest point of view about making Aliyah and maybe let you know a few details, no one else really dares to tell you. Additionally, I would also like to give you the most important piece of advice which is: "Learning the language - learning Hebrew !"
And please take into consideration that I am going to tell you the Israeli opinion about making Aliyah !

I myself made Aliyah from Germany a little more than eight years ago. This was my official step, as I had lived in Israel for four or five years before I finally made Aliyah. Getting to know this country first is very important in my eyes. Studying the language, getting to know society, rules and mentality, making friends, all this is extremely important if you want to avoid surprises.

Personally I think that Jews should live in Israel, and as one of the panel members at the convention pointed out, it is only in Israel where we Jews don't have to justify ourselves. Those who lived abroad know exactly what I am talking about.
How many times did the Gentiles ask us about Judaism, being Jewish and accusing us as soon as Israel takes military actions ?
Aren't we all sick of it ?
However, many Diaspora Jews rather suffer through instead of making Aliyah. And I accept those personal decisions. But take at least into consideration that in Israel, you can take off on Pessach without explaining your boss what Pessach stands for.

Especially in North America, Nefesh Be'Nefesh is the biggest Aliyah organization. Every Jew has a right to move to Israel and become a citizen (unless you are a crook). Nefesh Be'Nefesh's problem is that it is only Canada, US, France or UK concentrated.
What about all the other countries ?

And, last but not least, there are those who criticize the organization of accepting donations from radical Christians such as the Evangelists with their schizophrenic agenda. Jews should come back to Israel and then their false Meschiach J. would come back. This is how those Evangelists think.

There are new Olim (immigrants) and others who argue that Jews who are planning to make Aliyah should rather come to Israel on their own expenses and then go to the Ministry of the Interior and fill in all the necessary forms there. Without taking the "Christian" money from Nefesh Be'Nefesh. And countless Sephardic Jews told me that it is a real disgrace how different organizations today pay off the new Olim. In those days, in the 40ies and 50ies, when they immigrated to Israel from Tunesia, Marocco, Iran, Jemen or Irak, no one cared at all. There was no comfortable absorption center and a neverending cash flow. Nowadays you get cash already at the airport.

"When we came, the Sephardic Jews say, we were starving. We had to get adjusted, learn the language and find a job. There was no other way of surviving. Today all those new immigrants (Olim Chadashim) expect a red - carper - treatment and for them, we Israelis are primitive and worth nothing. Hey, look, I am from the States and I am everything !"

By the way, this was exactly the behaviour of the participants at the convention. Who spoke about Israelis and learning Hebrew ?
Instead, Israelis today suffer from a New York - Toronto - New Jersey and London clique which many times isn't able and interested in learning Hebrew let alone Israeli society.

In a city like Jerusalem, the Sephardic Jews are in the majority and they judge you according to your behaviour. How are you getting adjusted ? Are you at least trying to do so because many new immigrants don't ? Those immigrants rather prefering the New Jersey ghetto world soon start complaining about the rude Israelis.

As I always emphasize: In order to get adjusted and be part of Israeli society, you have to learn the language. This should be of the highest priorities. Otherwise you are always out of society and no one is in the mood to translate all the time. Especially not when you have been here for a few years. Many immigrants don't even try and if you decide not to learn Hebrew and continue your ghetto life, so don't call yourself Israeli.

Being Israeli doesn't mean a plastic identity card (Teudat Zehut) but it also means to identify oneself with society. And how are you going to do this when you are not part of it ?

Israel is not an easy country to live in and you have to have a survivor mentality. However, the more you get to know the people, study Hebrew, deal with society, the more you get adjusted. And even if you find my statement rude, in a few years after your absorption, you will totally agree with me. By the way, it isn't rude, as I am just letting you know reality.

Right after making Aliyah, you might get homesick. So much that when a bus driver starts yelling at you, you start wishing you were back in your former country. Those are the moments when you need Hebrew and suddenly you identify yourself with every refugee in a foreign country.

After a while, you do get adjusted and you will realize that every mistake and every depression was worth suffering through. If you don't give up and try to be "real" Israeli, you are going to succeed. And then you forget about all these yelling people and one day, believe it or not, you are going to get upset about the Jews from your former country, making Aliyah and trying to keep up their little Anglo ghetto.