Posted September 28 2008
An Olah Without A Parachute: My Aliyah Adventure IX
I am going to institute an Israel idiosyncrasy -Ism (the triple “I”) to my column because.. well why not?
- Banks charge you for taking out your own money. … I know!! They charge you when you want you to use your credit card. They charge you when you want to open other savings account. I’m not sure people ever explained to them how banks work.. they are to provide a service, not make money. Maybe I’m way off and banks have always been a business, yet, it is much more disguised in America. Although banks in America are a touchy subject right about now…
Now back to our regularly scheduled column:
This past Shabbos I ate a meal with people who made aliyah years ago and we discussed the individuals still living in chutz l’aretz (outside of Israel). There is a palpable anger for some here who have made aliyah against those who haven’t. I fear this anger. I wonder where it stems from, whether from a place of hardship - I have a sacrificed for our nation and G-d and so you should too, or a feeling of loneliness, I am trying to do what’s right and I don’t want to be alone in this. Maybe it’s a combination of both.
What I do know is that this anger, this feeling of disdain for those who have not made this kind of change is very dangerous. It is dangerous for our nation and our destiny. I feel that because of this kind of animosity, where one Jew begrudges another’s way of life, we are still stuck in galut. WE ARE STILL STUCK. Part of the beauty of Judaism to me is the different ways we can connect to G-d. Without getting too philosophical here, and there are many clauses to the above remark, I’ll get back to my point. I sit here having made aliyah, thanking G-d every day that I was able to make this move. I was lucky enough to have been able to find a way to do this - but it wasn’t all due to my own steam. There was determination and a decision, but there was also opportunity and support. I never want to look at those in the diaspora as people who are not strong enough, I want to always remember we are a nation, am echad b’lev echad -and because I’m here - you’re a little here too. And one day you will all be here.
Until that day, I will continue to miss everyone and wish you were with me, in a non-angry wistful way.
But you better visit!
And I will continue to hope that we can come together as a nation and be, as I put it so eloquently before, un-stuck. Aka - behaving and uniting as one nation.
Kativa Vi’chatima Tova to you.
I sincerely wish this year should be a great one for us all. And all our prayers should become reality in the way that we need.
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4 Comments currently posted. 
Benji says:
Marni says:
I think it is interesting that there are so many people who have moved to Israel and are angry at those who haven’t. Israel is not for everyone. And living there, especially as an American, is something that people have chosen to do, because it is what they want - not because they were forced to move there. If one is happy in Israel, then they should stay. But they aren’t martyrs and therefore they shouldn’t act as such. If they are really that indignant about their situation, than maybe they shouldn’t be there. You shouldn’t feel that a living situation you chose to put yourself in is a sacrifice.
Marni says:
I find it odd that so many people are upset because they see their move to Israel as some sort of sacrfice. Olim aren’t martyrs. If they aren’t happy in Israel, they shouldn’t be there. Olim, particularly from North America, are fortunate to have the choice about which country they want to be in. If they feel everyone should suffer as they are for the sake of Judaism, then maybe they should go back to where they came from.
David H. says:
I suppose that life anywhere can get people down. Life just isn’t easy. Some weather it more easily than others. God, that was trite. Sorry. Perhaps the people you spent Shabbat with aren’t typical. Maybe they had a bad week. Moving to Israel and making it home certainly is difficult. We think of everyone who hasn’t made aliyah. And yet there are hundreds of thousands of Israelis who no longer live in Israel.
My point? Do I have one? Actually I have two.
1) I didn’t understand the Israel idiosyncrasy that you’ve adopted.
2) I wish you a g’mar chatima tova.
Being a Bank Manager at Diskount, I take great offense to the way that you described our system of taking money from our costumers. I would like to think that we are much slyer in our fiduciary acquisitions. Other than that, to describe your article I will have to steal a line from your famous Tony the tiger and say that “It’s GRRREAT!” It helps to produce good message for Rosh Hashanna. Keep up the good work.