ALIYAH COMMITTEE
AMTON Newsletter
Spring 2004
Who's Afraid of Aliyah?
Michael Landsberg
is the World Zionist Organization's Director of the
Jewish Agency's Israel Aliyah Delegation for North America.
In the spring of 2004, he addressed the MERCAZ USA Board
of Directors and, rather than the expected Jewish Agency
call for aliyah (immigration), he called on North
American Conservative Jews to consider visits to Israel
for "a year or two or more to get to know us better".
AMTON decided to explore this idea further and caught
up with Mr. Landsberg by cellphone as he was waiting
for a flight in Cincinnati. It quickly became clear
that Michael Landsberg is a man with a mission, trying
to invigorate the North American Jewish community about
coming to live in Israel.
AMTON: Typically,
most Jews who have immigrated to Israel have been from
distressed countries, and the numbers from comfortable
North America have been relatively low. Is it realistic
to expect a massive influx of North American Conservative
Jews to come to Israel now, in the fourth year of intifada,
either for short or long visits, never mind aliyah?
ML: I think people
here don't realize how different the situation in Israel
is from what you read in the papers and see on television.
I believe we have the potential to see lots more of
you coming to us, for many reasons. First, your readers
may be interested to know that although world-wide aliyah
has gone down during the intifada, immigration from
the West has gone up. Now, for the first time the proportion
of Conservative Jews from North America making aliyah
is significantly increasing. Last year, they represented
21% of the total of all people making aliyah
from North America, and this is nearly double their
numbers of recent years. Whereas aliyah from
North America has traditionally been the domain of the
Orthodox, we are excited to see our vision catching
on.....
AMTON: Even with
the intifada? To what do you attribute this growth?
ML: First of all,
like in Israel, people seem to be "getting on with
their lives", and I think people both in the U.S.
and in Israel are adjusting to the fact that terrorism
is an unfortunate reality everywhere today. People worry
about terrorism in the U.S. We are all vulnerable. New
forms of economic assistance for new olim has been helping.
A new organization, Nefesh
b'Nefesh (Soul to Soul), a fund-raising group in
Florida (money is raised from private donors with help
from the Jewish Agency) provides up to $20,000 to people
making aliyah to help defray costs or relocating.
About 25% of all olim who make aliyah
receive assistance from Nefesh b'Nefesh. We have a new
Aliyah basket of entitlements for North American
olim provided by the Israeli government as well
as a variety of new programs, including free tuition
for high school, bachelor's and master's degrees, which
help people to come, live with us, study with us, in
short, "try us out".
AMTON: On one hand
Prime Minister Sharon is asking for a massive influx
of aliyah but on the other hand you have also
said that we should "forget about aliyah,
and just come for long visits", as you said "try
us out". A paradox?
ML: Not really.
Sure, I'd rather see everyone stay permanently, but
I want North Americans to see "aliyah"
as an opportunity. Come for a long visit, try us, and
then I expect that a lot of you will decide to stay
with us. We know that 100% won't stay with us, but historically,
even those who return, come back with a greater understanding
of us, knowledge about us and our culture, and are better
friends to us than their counterparts who have never
visited Israel or have come for short sight-seeing excursions
only.
AMTON: Other reasons
we should be thinking about "long stays"?
ML: Israel is an
adventure, and there are different ways to experience
it. Judaism filters in through language, walking down
the street. I think it's so important for everyone to
know his/her identity and what better way for every
Jew to know his/her identity than by experiencing Israel...
Where is today's center of Jewish life? Where do you
see the growth of vibrant, contemporary Jewish culture?
Whether it's literature, films, theater, public debate,
philosophic discussions — things are happening
in Israel — we have Nobel Prize winners, Knesset
debate, a kosher army — you name it. The essence
of today's life in Israel is exciting — no where
else can offer all of this complexity today. We are
experiencing a renaissance of Jewish culture —
but you must come and see it to understand and feel
it. By the way, you know that Israel produces more books
per capita than any country in the world — and
they are all in Hebrew!... I think the film industry,
too... You know, Israel is the only country in the world
that planted more trees than it lost in the last century?!....
And, with Jews from 80 countries as well as many citizens
of other faiths, Israel can compete with New York as
the multi-cultural capital of the world.... Why, the
question of "Who is a Jew" — where is
it going to be decided? In Israel.
We need you, just as much as I think you need us.
When you come to us for "long visits", you
get to know us better, and of course, we expect you
to like us better! There are opportunities for sabbaticals
in every field, training programs, research opportunities
in a variety of areas. All sorts of new Israel Programs
have been created just in the last few years for people
of all ages, with all kinds of interests, to come individually
or as a family. And, in "long trips", there
is a better chance that you will learn Hebrew, and you
will know so much more about us than if you come for
two or three weeks.
AMTON: Why do you
say "we need you" and why "from North
America"?
ML: Because those
who come from North America bring with them a background
rich in the traditions of knowing how to nurture and
grow freedom and democracy with responsibility and pluralism.
While it's true that Israel is a democracy, we are a
young democracy — only 56 years old — we don't
even have a constitution yet. You come with these core
values and you can help us greatly. Israel needs to
continue to build itself and grow with the spirit of
moderation, to learn from people of all perspectives.
American Jews in Israel today are in the forefront of
all our movements of social, civic and political activism
and change. American olim started the women's
movement, ecology awareness, and more. But we need more
of you...
Of course, aliyah is the ultimate dream for
us, to see you living with us, working, producing, earning
salaries, strengthening our economy, and strengthening
our traditions of democracy and pluralism — this
is our dream. Imagine what another 100,000 of you coming
would do for us and for the Jewish people?*
*(for those of us who think this is a high number,
100,000 represents less than 2% of all North American
Jewry, ed.)
Michael Landsberg is a former paratrooper, and a
founding member of Kibbutz Ortal. He held leadership
positions in the Kibbutz Movement and later was a shaliach
(emissary) to various Jewish communities abroad, primarily
in North America. From 1997-2002, he served as Secretary
General of the World Labor Zionist Movement, until his
arrival in New York.
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