As described in my previous article (“American Jewish Leadership Failure or Antisemitism and Aliyah” December 15, 2022), the combination of antisemitism, assimilation, secularization and indifference are having a very negative impact on the Jewish people. Not since the 1920s have we seen such hatred directed against the Jewish people. There have been many attempts by very well minded people and organizations to stem this awful tide of events, but matters only seem to be getting worse.
I received many comments on the previous article, some positive and some negative. I would like to provide some clarification.
One: Antisemitism will not end if there is a massive aliyah. We will be hated until Moshiach comes. However, aliyah will protect those who decide to make this difficult and powerful move. It is not just for them but for their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Two:What is clear to me is that the era of the galus (or diaspora) Jews coming to an end. Being part of the geulah (redemption) process that we are in, it is very difficult for many to see this unfolding. In most of Europe, the diaspora has already ended. In 1950, there were 5 million Jews in America, today the real number is about four million. With natural growth, the Jewish population in America should have been 12 -20 million by now.
Three: Israel is very thankful for the support it has received for the diaspora community. History has shown that the Israeli communities from Babylon (during the time of Ezra) to those in Eastern Europe (during the time of the first and second Aliyah) to those in America (from the establishment of the State of Israel) have played a vital role in sustaining a viable community in Israel.
Four: as an Orthodox Jew, there are two principles that make me optimistic for the future. הכל בדי שמים , everything is Hashem’s hands, and גם זו לטובה, everything that Hashem does for us is for the good. We may not recognize it for years or decades or centuries, but looking back in history, one sees the miracles that have occurred on our behalf. We also see a distinct pattern in almost every diaspora community. (See Rabbi Berel Wein’s book In the Footsteps of Eliyahu Hanavi). We get thrown out of a country, emigrate to a new country, become very successful and influential, then get thrown out of that country. The only difference between now and then is that we have Eretz Yisrael to move to.
If one reads the Tochacha and Sefer Isaiah one can see how the Torah and the Prophets forecast the future, both the ups and the downs. The end of the story virtually describes where we are now, in the middle of the geulah process. The miracles of the War of Independence and the Six Day War should make that very clear.
Five: The State of Israel has taken upon itself the responsibility to help all Jews, not just those who live in Israel.
I believe the only way to save the Jewish people is to begin a massive education and inspiration campaign to look at Israel as the only place where Jews will be truly cared for. This drive will need to be a multi-generational effort. Many people do not seem to understand the challenges facing the Jewish population in the US and Western Europe. These Jews are relatively comfortable economically and with regard to their Judaism, so they see no need to immediately make aliyah. And just like the Jews of Egypt and the Jews of Babylonia, most of the Jews in America will not make aliyah. But we need to do our hishtadlus, to make an effort, and partner with Hashem in encouraging everyone to consider a future in Israel.
Israel needs to be seen as the Jewish home for ALL Jews. All streams of Judaism need to be respected. This means to me that while halachic standards need to be maintained, a path for everyone needs to be created to give everyone the option of living with (though not necessarily follow) those standards. Not an easy thing to accomplish, but necessary. More on this later in the article.
Encouraging people to make Aliyah cannot be accomplished with a hammer, but needs to be approached with love,understanding and education. It requires a multi-year process that focuses on the beauty, opportunities and history of the State of Israel. Standing in front of a congregation and telling people they must move to Israel because it is the home of the Jewish people will not get many people to make aliyah. But a subtle message every week about the beauty and importance of the land of Israel will have a much greater impact.
The responsibility to make this attempt successful will necessitate some very specific actions by the State of Israel, by the Orthodox rabbinic leadership and by the leadership of the Reform and Conservative movements. Let me present just a few examples of what could be done to encourage aliyah.
Actions by the State of Israel
The Aliyah Process: Being a recent oleh, I believe I am qualified to propose that some bureaucratic steps can be eliminated without jeopardizing the integrity of the process. The most obvious one is to eliminate the entire apostille process. This step is both costly, time consuming and adds truly little value. I understand that many European countries require this on their official documents, but the agencies in the US that are providing birth certificates, marriage certificates and crime records are very reliable and secure.
The post-aliyah process:After arriving in Israel, I spent weeks going from office to office securing the required documents and getting a driver’s license, health coverage, kelitah benefits, an Israeli passport and teudat zehus (identity card), bank accounts, setting up electricity, gas, phone, internet, senior benefits, etc. This should be coordinated so it can be done in one day. Nefesh B’ Nefesh created an Israeli miracle and arranged for this to happen for the Lone Soldiers. There is therefore no reason the Jewish Agency cannot make this happen for all new olim.
Attracting the secular, non-affiliated Jew: Many American Jews have truly little knowledge of their Jewish heritage and background and the history of Israel. Organizations like Chabad, Aish Hatorah, NCSY and others have been very effective in attracting this segment of the Jewish population, slowly educating them and bringing them back into the family. All the outreach organizations’ techniques are based on love, acceptance of everyone and the slow transition to a more complete Jewish understanding. Just like Rome was not built in a day, creating a knowledgeable Jew will also take time.
Another organization that seems to be successful is Birthright. People who go on Birthright tours to Israel seem to get a better understanding of the history of Israel, the beauty of Israel and the opportunities that Israel affords them. The issue with Birthright is there is no ongoing follow up. The State of Israel together with Chabad, Aish Hatorah and the OU (and other Orthodox organizations) should be approaching the Birthright graduates with ongoing activities and education that could lead some of them to making aliyah.
Accommodation of different streams of Judaism:This is probably the most difficult issue to tackle. While the adherence to halacha is important, mechanisms need to be put in place that will accommodate those Jews who do not strictly adhere to requirements of Jewish law. But this needs to be done in a way that does not infringe on the rights and sensitivities of those people who do follow halacha. Let’s take as an example, davening at the Kotel. Mixed (male and female) davening at the current men’s and women’s section should be prohibited. For those who want to daven in a mixed environment, accommodations at the Southern Wall or Eastern Wall could be improved to allow for such mixed davening. At this location, women could be allowed to read from the Torah or hold their own minyanim. The government should not be bullied by a few who reject such agreements. Other areas of contention such as marriage, divorce, who is a Jew, also need to be discussed and halachically resolved.
Find a way to provide an easier official connection to Israel: Today the only way to be officially connected to Israel is through aliyah. Making aliyah is a very big step and takes significant sacrifices from a family. One does not graduate from nursery school to graduate school, but must first go through elementary school, junior high school, high school, college and then finally graduate school. At each step the student receives a degree of accomplishment. Israel could do the same for potential citizens. If there existed a set of smaller steps to full aliyah, I believe many Jews would begin that process.
Actions for the Orthodox Rabbinic Leadership
The reason I focus on Orthodox leadership is that many of their constituents already have a connection to Israel. According to the recent Pew study, 71 % of Orthodox Jews have been to Israel more than once, while only 38 and 21 % of Conservative and Reform Jews, respectively, have been to Israel more than once. In addition, a very large percentage of American Jews making aliyah are Orthodox. But the numbers are still small. Either they have family living there, or they or their children may have spent time learning in Israel or traveling to Israel. Many have had a solid education in the history of biblical and/or modern-day Israel. This segment of diaspora Jewry should be “low-hanging fruit” to consider aliyah.
The problem is the Jews in America and some Western European countries are very comfortable. They have wonderful jobs, live in thriving Jewish neighborhoods, they may have children who are established in their schools or elderly parents whose lives would be disrupted if they immediately made aliyah. All these issues, over time, can be resolved with the right coaching, coaxing and support from the State of Israel. But the people who can have the largest influence on them are their community rabbis, and their teachers and rebbeim in schools. These professionals need to educate their members and their children about the beauty and opportunities and mitzvah of living in Israel.
But this is not happening. It is hard to put my finger on why not, but I will share with you some of my thoughts.
1. The Rabbinic and educational leaders are concerned that if there is a large number of families making aliyah, their positions might be jeopardized.
2. Israel is run by secular Jews.
3. They are waiting for Moshiach.
4. They consider that their mission is to save Jews in America.
5. They think their congregants do not want to hear about aliyah, even indirectly.
But all these reasons are no longer considered valid.
If a large number of families make aliyah, the rabbinic leadership will have a great number of jobs in Israel. This current Israeli government has over 50 % of members who are Shomer Shabbos and my guess is that will only grow with time. Moshiach is waiting for the Jews to come to Israel. (In fact, it is said that Rav Chaim Kanievsky believed Moshiach is already here and is just waiting for more Jews to come to Israel before he reveals himself.) The rabbinic leadership that is focused on kiruv can have the same mission to educate the Jews of Israel. Orthodox Jews are starting to be very concerned about antisemitism and may be more open to aliyah considerations.
So what can these leadership organizations consider doing?
Rabbinic organizations like the OU, RCA, Agudas Yisrael,Young Israel, etc., need to make the decision that they will promote aliyah. Hopefully, they will not wait until there is a major tragedy before they act. They need to recognize and publicize that Toras Eretz Yisrael is at a much higher level than Toras Chutz La’aretz. They need to recognize that in almost every Torah parsha there is a clear reference that being in Eretz Yisrael is an important part of being a Jew. The Tochacha clearly reminds us that living in the diaspora is considered a punishment. Globally, kibbutz galiyos, the ingathering of exiles, is ongoing, and American Jews, especially the Orthodox, should participate in this process.
These organizations need to provide their rabbinic membership with the tools to subtly encourage aliyah. This of course does not mean that they demand their members make aliyah immediately, but they need to constantly reinforce the ideas of the special splendor of Eretz Yisrael and the halachic importance of living here. The government of Israel, as well as organizations such as Mizrachi, need to help these American rabbinic organizations create such tools for their constituents. In turn, the American rabbinic organizations could ask their rabbinic membership to promote the beauty of living in Eretz Yisrael at least once a month.
The day schools, yeshivas and Bais Yaakovs need to include in their curriculum topics on the history of Israel (which many do already through Chumash and Nach). But they should also include the modern history of Israel and the mitzvah of living in Israel, including the many national miracles that have occurred in the last 75 years. Here again, the government of Israel could work with these educational institutions to create such material.
With the new Israeli government, I believe there is an opportunity to make the process of aliyah easier, friendlier and more open to the world’s Jews. It will need to take focus, commitment and budget to make this happen. But with global antisemitism growing so rapidly, much needs to be done quickly to show all diaspora Jews that they and their families will have a very bright, happy and fruitful future in Israel.
