Western Aliyah

May 9, 2006 - 3:16 PM by Azulophy

The Jewish Agency reported that for 2005, the number of Olim Hadashim (people who have immigrated to Israel during that year) was 23,000. According to the Jewish Agency, this year Israel received a record number of Jews making Aliyah from the west. From North America, 3,052; from France, 2980; from South America, 1850. The Chairman of the Jewish Agency Zeev Bielski hopes this signifies a turning-point in the perspective of Israel to the Jewish World: “I hope that this year will mark a turning point for aliyah and for participation of young people in educational programs in Israel. After several difficult years we’ve been through, we believe that the improvement in the security and economic situation will increase the feeling of security, and together with the Jewish Agency’s new “aliyah of choice” strategies, aliyah will be on the rise in 2006 as well. I am happy that so many people are choosing to come to Israel”.

So in the beginning of 2006, January 16 to be specific, along with about 150 other North-American students, I landed at the Tel-Aviv Yaffo airport to begin the semester program at Hebrew University. Indeed Bielski was correct. The better feeling of security was imperative in allowing my parents to support my decision in attending this educational program this spring. And although I had no family in Israel on January 16th as I made my way to Jerusalem’s Hebrew University, January 17th was a completely different story. One day from my arrival to Israel, saw the brand-new aliyah of my 28 year old cousin with her husband and two children from Sao Paulo, Brazil (where I’m originally from). Within twenty four hours of the commencement of my journey to Israel I went from having no family to having a 1st cousin in Ranana.

Two weeks ago, I went to visit my family as they are now more adjusted and ready to receive guests. I had long talks with my cousin and her husband about the motivation behind their Aliyah. Let me say this- Flavio, my cousin’s husband, was making twice the amount of money that he is now making at Price-Waterhouse in Tel Aviv. They were living in a terrific apartment in Janopolis, a very nice area of Sao Paulo and could afford to have two cars and enroll the two children in private schools. When I arrived in Ranana, I was surprised to see that my family, who was extremely well-established in Brazil, was living under much more humble conditions in Israel. Sharing one car, living in a tiny 2 bed-room apartment in an absorption center, and taking the bus to work to save money, my family had given up on their many comforts solely for the purpose of Zionism.

My family illustrates a new shift on Aliyah patterns. The earlier decades of Israel’s young life, saw more predominant immigration coming from areas of the world dealing with either social oppression or economic difficulties. Whether it’d be the mass waves of immigrants such as the half-million Jews from Eastern Europe and increasingly hostile Arab countries in 1948-1950, the 300,000 Russians who came after The 6-day War during the 70’s and 80’s, or the Ethiopian Jews who came during Operation Moses in 1985, past immigration to Israel was in many cases a necessity to many.

Jews coming now from wealthy and stable communities in North America, England, and some parts of South America, demonstrate an intrepid, well-educated, and patriotic group of zionists.

To me, this shift taking place in Aliyah, although still reasonably small as it only represents less than a 1% increase in the Israeli population, is a strong sign confirming Bielski’s hope that people have a new-found hope in Israel’s economy, security, and overall stability as a forward moving state. The recent 4 billion investment by the out-of-this-world Warren Buffet (meet him and you’ll know what I’m talking about), into 80% of Iscar Corp.’s stock holdings, sums-up the new belief that there is confident Western belief in the progress of Israel- unilaterally if necessary.

So now as my semester comes to a close, and I will have to once again take out my American or Brazilian passport to make my way back to the “Land of the Free”, a feeling of onus and passion entraps me. A realization that I might never genuinely tie myself to the land that was established with tremendous hard-work and much suffering for the Jews of Diaspora comes to mind. The thought that this state is ardently fought for ever day so that people like myself could build a life and reconnect to their heritage and the mere possibility that I might die one day and never hold a passport that says Israel and David Wainer on the same document becomes slightly perturbing.

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