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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There is a great video over at Aish.com, as part of there ‘Heroes of Israel’ feature. This time Rabbi Yehoshua Fass of the Nefesh B’Nefesh organization is featured. He is truly inspiring as he tells the story of why to make Aliyah to Israel. He tells the story of how his cousin was murdered by a terrorist, and that to fight terrorism, he decided to move to Israel.

For old time Israelis or people living abroad thinking of making the big move, this video is certainly worth the watch.

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There is an editorial piece in the Jpost today written by someone who is now moving back to the US, after giving up on living in Israel. I feel badly that his absorption didn’t go well, and that he feels the need to leave Israel, but I question the newsworthiness of this op-ed. After all, almost 20,000 new immigrants from North America have settled in Israel since he came, and the overwhelming majority of them are doing fine. Why not print an editorial about that?

His article is full of excuses. ” We’re lucky if there’s even one other English speaker in ulpan, making it hard to study and practice.” He wasn’t provided the tools to learn Hebrew, get a job…etc. no question that we live in an society that demands instant gratification, but give me a break. I never took classes to learn Hebrew. You learn a foreign language by immersing yourself in it. Not by some government sponsored course.  I cleaned toilets in order to make enough money to pay the rent, and sometimes I took a job outside my realm of expertise in order to survive. I think that my story is very common for people who have come to live in Israel.

At the end of his article, he takes a pot-shot at Nefesh B’Nefesh, the organization that has revolutionized the entire Aliyah( immigration) process. If NBN is guilty of anything it’s that they have made it so easy to move to Israel, that many olim no longer get the full ‘Israeli’ experience. this is hardly a problem. To say that because of NBN less secular Jews will move to Israel, is not factually based. If secular Jews make up 40-50% of all new western immigrants, and immigration from North America is at record levels, than that means thousands and thousands of secular Jews are moving to Israel, out of choice, and also choosing to stay.

To the author, my deepest regrets that your absorption didn’t go the way you wished. To the Jpost, how about sticking to articles that have a bit more relevance to the general population. To potential western Olim, Israel is a great place to live!

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There is no question that the world of Jewish philanthropy has taken a huge hit. From the stock market crash, to a real estate washout to Bernie Madoff’s ponzi scheme, Jewish organizations are scrambling to find new donors. It appears that a name to watch for is Guma Aguiar. Aguiar, a philanthropist and founder of Leor Energy, gave $8 million to Nefesh B’Nefesh.

NBN has created a new approach to Aliyah and streamlined the entire process since it was founded six years ago to assist Western Jews who choose to move to Israel. The success of the organization has been phenomenal,  facilitating Aliyah out of choice. Instead of Jews turning to Israel as a sanctuary from persecution, NBN  has created a BUZZ for people to come to Israel because they want to. That’s huge! The Aguiar funds are being used to help meet the needs of thousands of recent newcomers.

According to the press release: “This substantial donation demonstrates how the remarkable commitment of Jews who choose to make Israel their home even in these challenging times, is echoed and fortified by the support of generous individuals like Guma,”  said Tony Gelbart, Co-Founder and Chairman of Nefesh B’Nefesh, “these vital funds strengthen  Israel’s human resources and ensure its future. The gift has already played a major role in helping Nefesh B’Nefesh bring a record number of newcomers to Israel in 2008.”

With so many worthy charities to pick from, the fact that Aguiar picked Aliyah is noteworthy. People have spoken about brining 100,000 western olim, and until now, it’s been a pipe dream. Now, due to the generosity of Aguiar, it may turn into a reality.

Kudos to Guma Aguiar on stepping in to fill the Jewish philanthropic void.

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