- Being an Owner, Not a Guest — No Longer at the Mercy of Foreign Governments
Narrative:
Jewish history is marked by exile, expulsions and persecution. From Spain in 1492 to the pogroms of Eastern Europe, Jews have often found themselves at the mercy of foreign rulers. Israel changes that paradigm—here, Jews are no longer subject to the whims of others. The feeling of being “home” is not just about geography; it is about sovereignty. Aliyah is the ultimate statement that Jewish survival will never again depend on the kindness of strangers.
Biblical Source:
“And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be plucked up out of their land which I have given them, says the Lord your God.” (Amos 9:15)
וּנְטַעְתִּים, עַל-אַדְמָתָם, וְלֹא יִנָּתְשׁוּ עוֹד, מֵעַל אַדְמָתָם אֲשֶׁר נָתַתִּי לָהֶם–אָמַר, ה› אֱלֹהֶיךָ. (עמוס ט:טו
Talmudic Source:
“There is no greater love than the love of the Land of Israel.” (Zohar, Lech Lecha 93a)
לֵית חִיבָּה כְּחִיבָּה דְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל. (זוהר לך לך צג
- Fulfilling the Dreams of Our Ancestors – Generations Prayed for Return to Zion
Narrative:
Imagine the prayers whispered at the Western Wall, the tear-stained pages of Tehillim recited in distant lands, and the longing embedded in L’shana haba’a b’Yerushalayim (Next year in Jerusalem). Today’s olim are the fulfillment of those prayers. The journey from Babylon, Spain, Yemen and Poland converges in Israel. Each oleh is not just fulfilling their own dream but the dream of countless ancestors who never had the chance.
Biblical Source:
“If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill! Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy.” (Psalms 137:5-6)
אִם־אֶשְׁכָּחֵךְ יְרוּשָׁלָ͏ִם תִּשְׁכַּח יְמִינִי׃ תִּדְבַּק־לְשׁוֹנִי לְחִכִּי אִם־לֹא אֶזְכְּרֵכִי אִם־לֹא אַעֲלֶה אֶת־יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם עַל רֹאשׁ שִׂמְחָתִי. (תהילים קלז:ה-ו
Talmudic Source:
“The Jewish people were not exiled until they despised the Land of Israel.” (Tosefta Sotah 4:12)
לֹא גָלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל עַד שֶׁנִּתְמָאֲסָה לָהֶם אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל. (תוספתא סוטה ד:יב
Rabbi Paul Bloom lives in Jerusalem with his wife Ettie. Paul is President of the Israel Inspiration Initiative and is on the Board of the New York / Israel Chamber of Commerce. He is the CEO of PDB Futurecom International and is a retired CTO of IBM Research’s Communication Sector.
