It Ain’t Easy Making Aliyah
Written by: Aaron Katsman | April 23, 2009
There is a story in Ynet today, about a couple making Aliyah. Go figure, it’s not so easy. Who ever said it would be easy? They have student loan debt, no jobs, and don’t speak Hebrew so well. Sounds like a pretty normal case.
The article says, “The financial dilemma of immigrating to a new country creates a catch-22 for many potential olim. On one hand, moving to Israel is a dream fulfilled for many Jews throughout the Diaspora, but that decision can result in dire financial repercussions.”
Okay…
Correct me if I am wrong but don’t people move to Israel because it’s the Jewish homeland? How many people do you know that moved to Israel to get rich?
Maybe the problem lies in the fact that they relied on the Jewish Agency. The article continues, “Zev and Neta’s situation is not unique. Many Jewish professionals are encountering the same dilemma in the immigration process. The Jewish Agency has organized career fairs in central cities throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe to address this issue. But for American Jews living outside New York, these types of programs are difficult to attend. For many potential olim it can take decades to pay off student loans and by the time they are in their thirties, many have families and are less likely to make the move.”
After all the Jewish agency has failed for decades to successfully bring new olim to Israel. Just a thought but maybe this couple should go to some of the seminars put on by Nefesh B’Nefesh. NBN has a fully staffed employment division to assist in finding jobs. They have seminars throughout the US and Canada to speak with potential olim, on a variety of topics, from employment, to taxes, to schooling for children, and even speak about housing and differences among communities.
Not really sure what the point of the article was other than to say that making Aliyah is hard. Well thanks to NBN it’s a lot easier than it was 10 years ago.
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