Young Jews, Study In Israel!

One of the great myths weakening aliyah for decades has been:

"It's better to get your education and some professional experience and save money abroad, first."

Chutz L'Aretz, Not-Israel, Jewish Communities are full of good Jews who listened to their parents, teachers and rabbis, too. Most gave up their youthful, naive, idealistic dreams of aliyah. A few even tried and ended up coming back.
Make aliyah now!

For various reasons, we were in a rush to get to Israel, right after our 1970 wedding. We didn't buy any American furniture, didn't even use our entire "shipping allowance." We brought some books, clothes, non-electric kitchen supplies--like pots, dishes and cutlery, sheets, towels and that was it. My husband was a recent college graduate and I was a dropout.

Within a year of docking at Haifa Port, we were apartment owners. A simple apartment was within the budget of our immigrant mortgage and the wedding gifts, my mother told everybody to give us checks--"No tshatshkes, they're moving to Israel." We were also parents; I went straight from the hospital to our apartment with our firstborn.

We were lucky that our parents covered whatever loans we had for our education. In those days they were in the parents' names.

We became Israeli, picking up Hebrew and only knowing the Israeli ways of doing things.

Yes it was as easy as it sounds.

Friends who stayed abroad found their expenses competing with their savings, while inflation here in Israel made mockery of the little they could squirrel away. It's not all that cheap to live in America (or wherever), and you get used to "the American way."

Doctors, lawyers, dentists, accountants and nurses etc who are trained abroad still have to pass various exams here in Israel, learn Hebrew terminology and the language itself. Studying in Israel may be a little harder in the beginning, but once you get over the hump, it's lots easier than aliyah ten years or more later when you're dealing with a spouse and kids, who have their own problems.

And what about the great money myth? Today's American university students frequently finish their education owing tens of thousands of dollars. It used to be that banks were very tight with their money, only lending it to those with sufficient collateral. Now, lending is a business, big business, one of the causes for the present American recession. Telemarketers encourage loans to anyone. Credit cards offer lots of credit. Many college graduates need years to pay it all back, and some even find themselves bankrupt, because a college diploma doesn't guarantee prosperity.

If you really dream of living here in the Holy Land. If you're willing to be frugal, you can have an easier time in Israel. You'll learn Hebrew, get relevant training. You'll be part of society. Check it out!

Make aliyah now! 

"ReBranding," Not Via An Ad Campaign!

I was one of the two hundred Jewish Bloggers, known as jbloggers, who met last Wednesday, August 20, at the First Annual Jewish Bloggers Convention, in the Nefesh B'Nefesh offices in Jerusalem.  It was a very enjoyable experience meeting virtual friends, acquaintances and celebrities f2f, face to face.

Yes, that's me with the creator of Dry Bones.

And Bibi is also a blogger.

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But there's no such thing as a free lunch, and besides the aliyah agenda, which most of us are at home with, they had a spokesperson from the Foreign Ministry who spoke about "ReBranding."  In simple words, it means image-changing.  The results of recent research had them astounded.  We are perceived abroad as a dangerous, unfriendly country.

Kadima's forward-thinking Foreign Minister, Tsippi Livni, decided that what's needed is an advertising campaign. 
the more we try to please the world and imitate it, the less they like us. And they certainly don't respect us
The idea is to promote Israel as an "attractive place."  

Look closely, here's what you see to combat negative stereotypes and create the future brand and marketing image of Israel:

1. Tel Aviv Fashion Brands
2. Tel Aviv Modern Dance Troupes
3. Tel Aviv Beach Life
4. Israeli High Technology Developments
5. Tel Aviv Night Life
6. Israeli High Technology Medical Developments
7. Israeli Wine

Those are the images that Israel is going to use to sell Israel's uniqueness and specialness to the world. The campaign is being prepared and the Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni is expected to sign off on the budget next month. (picture plus list and explanation from Akiva.)  Akiva left out the Foreign Ministry's aim to stress that we're the home of the three main religions.

An ad campaign won't solve our problems.  People aren't so dumb, except maybe Israeli politicians.  Few people will ever see the ads, no matter how much money is invested.  So, here are some of my suggestions, which won't cost us all that money and will probably save some.  Of course, you're invited to add your in the comments:

1. No more visits to Yad Veshem or Massada for foreign office-holders and diplomats.  Let's show a vibrant Israel, not dead Jews.
2. No more closing off streets when foreign visitors come, like Bush.  It just reinforces the "Israel isn't safe" image.  If they don't agree, so they shouldn't come.
3. Take foreign visitors to see our farms and innovative techniques.  Travel by car to stress how small the country is.
4. Israel must stop asking advice and permission from foreigners about defense.  We don't need their help.  We did better defending ourselves before America interfered.  The Six Days War, 1967, was our victory alone, plus the prayers of Jews all over the world.  Six years later, the Yom Kippur War was more difficult, because America was "helping," and things have gone downhill ever since.  A country that begs for help is weak.

Israelis once had a great reputation as strong, daring, chutzpadik!

Now, the more we try to please the world and imitate it, the less they like us.  And they certainly don't respect us.

None of these expensive ad campaigns will do the trick.  One reason is because they're "phony," and the other bigger reason is that they're lacking passion, passion for an ideal.  In advertising there's the principle that you must create passion for your product, and none of that exists in the "Rebranding of Israel."

A Bissel Kvetch, A Few Rants

You probably think I'm schizophrenic.  My posts range from cock-eyed optimist to things like this.  So, if you need to be cheered, and you don't want me in a fighting mood, then scroll down to my previous post.

It seems to me I've heard that song before
It's from an old familiar score
I know it well, that melody

Well, maybe Huckabee is sincere, OK, really in favor of Israel, a secure, truly secure Israel, but when I saw that picture of him by the kotel, those lyrics came to my mind.
Something else to remember, Ehud Barak's reign of terror

Is it all a show? 

Every single politician running for US President, Vice President or dreaming of... They all come to Israel and pose at the Kotel.  They recite the mantra of "safe," "secure," "united Jerusalem" and all that the script requires.

The late US President Ronald Reagan, an experienced professional actor stated that he couldn't understand why people had put him down as "just an actor."  He said that he couldn't imagine anyone without acting talent and training doing the job.

So, I'm a cynic.  It just seems to me that push comes to shove, and they're all the same.

And I'm also sick and tired of the patronizing way the world talks to us.  Those NY Times editorials are just too preachy for words.  I wonder if anyone there ever reads reactions like mine.

Our collective memories are much too short, so I decided to take a look at the new Gush Katif Museum.  I was hoping/expecting to get a taste of the beauty which was once Gush Katif, but it's a disappointment. 

Here's an obituary about one of Neve Dekalim's more unique residents.

About memories, it's already ten years since Harel Bin Nun, HaYa"D, of Shiloh, was murdered.  A Sefer Torah was dedicated to his memory in the community his brothers established in his name, Givat Harel.

Something else to remember, Ehud Barak's reign of terror. Defying logic, he's back as head of the Labor Party and he's campaigning to return to power.  Please read this and pass it around.  The wave of Arab terror which began during Barak's rule was unprecedented.  Don't forget, please.

Now, back to my menial tasks here in the eye of the storm.