Three leaders of a new Aliyah organization named Aloh Naaleh (email address: "aloh-naaleh@aaci.org.il") talked with Arutz-7 about the need for Aliyah from North America and what they are planning to do about it. Click here to hear the discussion . Paraphrased excerpts:
David Hollander, founding member and well-known philanthropist:
"We hope that we will be successful in waking up the Jews of North America to tell them how good it is to live here in Eretz Israel. We, new immigrants from North America, feel almost sorry for every day that we missed and were not here… It’s very important to have more and more Jews from North America come on Aliyah. Here every individual counts, and counts a lot… We hope that you will share in this great vision. Know that G-d helped us -after 2,000 years, and after having reached the lowest point in Jewish history, Hashem helped us and gave us back our county. And so we are back here in the land, truly a land of milk and honey… Friends and neighbors, please come home: We need you, and you need us."
Rabbi Yerachmiel Roness, Executive-Director:
"We are primarily focusing on motivation. Once the Jews of North America begin to think of returning home and realize that Israel is a live option, they will turn to the other organizations [to get them here]… We are asking some of our friends to set up parlor meetings, to invite people from Israel to come and talk about the importance of building up the Land. This is how our message will be spread… We are also trying to reach out to those who are our natural constituency. There is one group of people that continue to come to Israel despite the problems, and that is the post-high school yeshiva students. We are in the midst of organizing a mass rally for over 1,000 yeshiva students to take place over Chanukah... The goal is for them to be motivated, when they go back to North America, to be goodwill ambassadors spreading the word that "the Land is good" and is where every Jew should be living… We would like to organize aliyah groups, have Israel-awareness days, and even help organize synagogue projects to buy an apartment in Israel, and every member could travel and use the apartment in Israel for a week…"
Rabbi Shalom Gold, well-known rabbi and lecturer in Har Nof, Jerusalem:
"[Asked about the aforementioned event for the yeshiva students]: The message has to begin with the Halakhah, Jewish law. The students need to be made aware of the fact that there is only once place in the world where it’s a commandment, the fulfillment of a Torah imperative, to live there… We also have to make it clear, we are not asking people to immediately pick up and come to Israel. They should put it on their mental and communal agenda. Plan towards it… Every student [here for a year or two] should most probably go back to the U.S. to complete his education and make himself somebody who can contribute to Israeli society… It’s amazing the contributions that Americans and Canadians have made to Israeli society in every area. Medicine, sciences, education, technology. We want these young people to make themselves much more valuable to this country so that ultimately they can make a contribution here."
Rabbi Roness:
"For those who want to be participants in the unfolding of Jewish destiny, and not be spectators from afar, come here and you will be a true participant in the unfolding of the Jewish dream and the Jewish promise that G-d has made to the Jewish people."
Rabbi Gold:
"These are historic times ahead for the State of Israel, and all the help that we can get over here may very well shape the destiny of the state. Anybody who has been noticing what has been taking place over the past several years can see… The State of Israel is in the process of becoming the largest Jewish community in the world. The latest figures coming from the US show that there are possibly 5.3 million Jews in America, and we’re beyond that here in Israel. It means that what is taking place now is that we are moving into an era from which there will be no return. The center of the Jewish world today is the Land of Israel. And therefore it means that one who wants to carry his share of historic responsibility, building the country, making it, protecting it, working for its security - this is the place to do it. We need Jews here!"
David Hollander, founding member and well-known philanthropist:
"We hope that we will be successful in waking up the Jews of North America to tell them how good it is to live here in Eretz Israel. We, new immigrants from North America, feel almost sorry for every day that we missed and were not here… It’s very important to have more and more Jews from North America come on Aliyah. Here every individual counts, and counts a lot… We hope that you will share in this great vision. Know that G-d helped us -after 2,000 years, and after having reached the lowest point in Jewish history, Hashem helped us and gave us back our county. And so we are back here in the land, truly a land of milk and honey… Friends and neighbors, please come home: We need you, and you need us."
Rabbi Yerachmiel Roness, Executive-Director:
"We are primarily focusing on motivation. Once the Jews of North America begin to think of returning home and realize that Israel is a live option, they will turn to the other organizations [to get them here]… We are asking some of our friends to set up parlor meetings, to invite people from Israel to come and talk about the importance of building up the Land. This is how our message will be spread… We are also trying to reach out to those who are our natural constituency. There is one group of people that continue to come to Israel despite the problems, and that is the post-high school yeshiva students. We are in the midst of organizing a mass rally for over 1,000 yeshiva students to take place over Chanukah... The goal is for them to be motivated, when they go back to North America, to be goodwill ambassadors spreading the word that "the Land is good" and is where every Jew should be living… We would like to organize aliyah groups, have Israel-awareness days, and even help organize synagogue projects to buy an apartment in Israel, and every member could travel and use the apartment in Israel for a week…"
Rabbi Shalom Gold, well-known rabbi and lecturer in Har Nof, Jerusalem:
"[Asked about the aforementioned event for the yeshiva students]: The message has to begin with the Halakhah, Jewish law. The students need to be made aware of the fact that there is only once place in the world where it’s a commandment, the fulfillment of a Torah imperative, to live there… We also have to make it clear, we are not asking people to immediately pick up and come to Israel. They should put it on their mental and communal agenda. Plan towards it… Every student [here for a year or two] should most probably go back to the U.S. to complete his education and make himself somebody who can contribute to Israeli society… It’s amazing the contributions that Americans and Canadians have made to Israeli society in every area. Medicine, sciences, education, technology. We want these young people to make themselves much more valuable to this country so that ultimately they can make a contribution here."
Rabbi Roness:
"For those who want to be participants in the unfolding of Jewish destiny, and not be spectators from afar, come here and you will be a true participant in the unfolding of the Jewish dream and the Jewish promise that G-d has made to the Jewish people."
Rabbi Gold:
"These are historic times ahead for the State of Israel, and all the help that we can get over here may very well shape the destiny of the state. Anybody who has been noticing what has been taking place over the past several years can see… The State of Israel is in the process of becoming the largest Jewish community in the world. The latest figures coming from the US show that there are possibly 5.3 million Jews in America, and we’re beyond that here in Israel. It means that what is taking place now is that we are moving into an era from which there will be no return. The center of the Jewish world today is the Land of Israel. And therefore it means that one who wants to carry his share of historic responsibility, building the country, making it, protecting it, working for its security - this is the place to do it. We need Jews here!"