Snowballs in summer you ask incredulously? It just can't be. But don't be fooled. As winter skies brought those white flakes and icy crystals to our northern hemisphere, and snowballs roll down hills and grow in size as they gather speed, so the summer skies of Israel are bringing new immigrants landing from the heavens.
As more and more come, we see a sort of giant snowball effect that overtakes you while you roll in the joy of our nations' return to our Land. That is what's happening with the immigration scene from the West today. Do you think there is no aliyah? Maybe we think our brothers in the West are asleep? Good news, the weather is changing! Slowly we are rousing from the slumber of the Exile. More and more and even more Jews are saying, "Lets go and make our lives in Israel. It's time to make aliyah!"
A few years ago, a new organization was established called Nefesh B'Nefesh, or Jewish Souls United. The two founders, Rabbi Yehoshua Fass and Mr. Tony Gelbart offered financial assistance as well as a support network to North American Jews who wanted to make aliyah, but thought they couldn't without extra help. In the summer of 2002, a plane loaded with North American immigrants flew into Ben-Gurion Airport and were greeted with music, a formal line up of Israeli soldiers, waving flags and the political echelon of Israel.
A beautiful ceremony welcoming these Jews who left the Roman Empire of today opened up a new era for the returning of Jews from the wealthy countries of the world. The next summer, the number of olim from the West doubled. Two planeloads of Jews returning home landed with official ceremonies and press welcoming them. American emigrant doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs and other professionals and non-professionals arrived to plant themselves firmly at home.
It's now the summer of 2004 and the number of planes may double again. As each Jewish family in the American exile decides to come, they smooth the path out for the next ones in their community. More and more are making this historic move home. They see it can be done, and they see it can be done successfully.
Three thousand years ago, when we left Egypt, we didn't have enough time to let our dough rise to bake bread. We left with what we could carry, to go into the wilderness to an unknown destiny. Who in their right mind would leave Egypt, one of the greatest civilizations of the time, and go to the Land of Israel, which was occupied by Canaanites? We would have to fight for the Land. In addition, none of us had promises of job offers, none of us had Jewish communities to welcome us with open arms, we had no homes waiting for us to dwell in, and we didn't have the privilege and means to decide what luxuries to bring from Egypt. We left on foot, and we left with what we could carry with us.
So, who would want to leave the great Egyptian empire with all its comforts, especially since we weren't slaves anymore, and chose to wander out to the wilderness, to the unknown, with an old man leading us? One had to be either crazy-reckless, or he had to have such a love for the Jewish People, that he said to himself, "What ever happens to Moshe Rabeinu and my people, good or bad, I want to be with my people! What ever their destiny is, my destiny shall be. I am part and parcel of my nation, and want to entwine my future with theirs." And so, through these birth pangs, a great nation was born.
Throughout the generations, our ancestors who lived in Eastern Europe or Middle Eastern countries, suffering from anti-Semitism and the whims of their non-Jewish rulers, would have jumped at the chance to have the opportunity that we have today. Oh, to live in the Holy Land! No more will our small sons be kidnapped to serve in the army and forced to forget their Judaism. No more will we have to cut off fingers in order to avoid their forced military service. No more will we have to cower to a non-Jew while living in Jewish ghettos, prohibited from owning land or from entering certain professions.
I myself find it difficult to imagine how we survived under the pogroms, expulsions, tortures and forced conversions, under the hatred of the non-Jews throughout the centuries.
Today, we are lucky. We have a Jewish state already established. We have government grants and loans to help us, we have government agencies to re-train us, if need be, for other professions. We have free ulpan (Hebrew study courses) and our own welfare system to take care of us. We even have free transportation to make our historic move home. With additional organizations like Nefesh B'Nefesh helping us even more, we are truly starting a snowball as we fulfill our dream of returning home.
Today we decide: "Do I bring the couch, or buy one there? Should we bring American appliances, or purchase the European/Israeli models once we get there? Which community should we move to, one near the holy city of Jerusalem that has villas with gardens, or should we move to the fast paced, exciting city of Tel Aviv, where we can sit in outdoor cafes along the beach at night?". Oh, our dilemmas today! As hard as we may think it is, we have it easy.
Take a look, I think I see ice crystals forming. Hell is starting to freeze over, as the Jews from the West are coming. It's snowballs in summer!
As more and more come, we see a sort of giant snowball effect that overtakes you while you roll in the joy of our nations' return to our Land. That is what's happening with the immigration scene from the West today. Do you think there is no aliyah? Maybe we think our brothers in the West are asleep? Good news, the weather is changing! Slowly we are rousing from the slumber of the Exile. More and more and even more Jews are saying, "Lets go and make our lives in Israel. It's time to make aliyah!"
A few years ago, a new organization was established called Nefesh B'Nefesh, or Jewish Souls United. The two founders, Rabbi Yehoshua Fass and Mr. Tony Gelbart offered financial assistance as well as a support network to North American Jews who wanted to make aliyah, but thought they couldn't without extra help. In the summer of 2002, a plane loaded with North American immigrants flew into Ben-Gurion Airport and were greeted with music, a formal line up of Israeli soldiers, waving flags and the political echelon of Israel.
A beautiful ceremony welcoming these Jews who left the Roman Empire of today opened up a new era for the returning of Jews from the wealthy countries of the world. The next summer, the number of olim from the West doubled. Two planeloads of Jews returning home landed with official ceremonies and press welcoming them. American emigrant doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs and other professionals and non-professionals arrived to plant themselves firmly at home.
It's now the summer of 2004 and the number of planes may double again. As each Jewish family in the American exile decides to come, they smooth the path out for the next ones in their community. More and more are making this historic move home. They see it can be done, and they see it can be done successfully.
Three thousand years ago, when we left Egypt, we didn't have enough time to let our dough rise to bake bread. We left with what we could carry, to go into the wilderness to an unknown destiny. Who in their right mind would leave Egypt, one of the greatest civilizations of the time, and go to the Land of Israel, which was occupied by Canaanites? We would have to fight for the Land. In addition, none of us had promises of job offers, none of us had Jewish communities to welcome us with open arms, we had no homes waiting for us to dwell in, and we didn't have the privilege and means to decide what luxuries to bring from Egypt. We left on foot, and we left with what we could carry with us.
So, who would want to leave the great Egyptian empire with all its comforts, especially since we weren't slaves anymore, and chose to wander out to the wilderness, to the unknown, with an old man leading us? One had to be either crazy-reckless, or he had to have such a love for the Jewish People, that he said to himself, "What ever happens to Moshe Rabeinu and my people, good or bad, I want to be with my people! What ever their destiny is, my destiny shall be. I am part and parcel of my nation, and want to entwine my future with theirs." And so, through these birth pangs, a great nation was born.
Throughout the generations, our ancestors who lived in Eastern Europe or Middle Eastern countries, suffering from anti-Semitism and the whims of their non-Jewish rulers, would have jumped at the chance to have the opportunity that we have today. Oh, to live in the Holy Land! No more will our small sons be kidnapped to serve in the army and forced to forget their Judaism. No more will we have to cut off fingers in order to avoid their forced military service. No more will we have to cower to a non-Jew while living in Jewish ghettos, prohibited from owning land or from entering certain professions.
I myself find it difficult to imagine how we survived under the pogroms, expulsions, tortures and forced conversions, under the hatred of the non-Jews throughout the centuries.
Today, we are lucky. We have a Jewish state already established. We have government grants and loans to help us, we have government agencies to re-train us, if need be, for other professions. We have free ulpan (Hebrew study courses) and our own welfare system to take care of us. We even have free transportation to make our historic move home. With additional organizations like Nefesh B'Nefesh helping us even more, we are truly starting a snowball as we fulfill our dream of returning home.
Today we decide: "Do I bring the couch, or buy one there? Should we bring American appliances, or purchase the European/Israeli models once we get there? Which community should we move to, one near the holy city of Jerusalem that has villas with gardens, or should we move to the fast paced, exciting city of Tel Aviv, where we can sit in outdoor cafes along the beach at night?". Oh, our dilemmas today! As hard as we may think it is, we have it easy.
Take a look, I think I see ice crystals forming. Hell is starting to freeze over, as the Jews from the West are coming. It's snowballs in summer!