In an attempt to impassion the Jews of North America towards what it calls "the Jewish destiny," the grassroots Aliyah organization Kumah has kicked off its Aliyah Revolution Tour 2004. Aiming to inspire American Jews to come home to Israel, Kumah's founder Yishai Fleisher and activist Zev Orenstein are on a whirlwind tour of the east coast of the U.S., where they met with groups in New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Florida.
Fleisher, who is also a talk show host on Israel National Radio, Arutz 7's online English-language radio, and Orenstein visited synagogues, homes, and colleges, speaking about the future of Israel and the role of American Jews in the Jewish land. They also met with leaders of various Aliyah organizations in the U.S., handing out 2,000 pins reading "I'm Making Aliyah" and "Aliyah Revolution," as well as "The Matrix"-themed T-shirts suggesting that Aliyah is the Jews' way out of "the matrix" of the Diaspora.
Fleisher and his wife Malkah made Aliyah themselves over a year ago. Meeting with groups considering Aliyah, he affirmed the potential of American Jews to improve the State of Israel, and fielded questions on issues ranging from financial planning to finding the right community in Israel. Fleisher stressed that the return of the Jewish people is the "fulfillment of prophecies, and the greatest project that the Jewish people have embarked upon in the last 2,000 years." He noted that the majority of the Jewish people will soon live in the land of Israel; "so how about you as well?"
For Fleisher, the "Aliyah Revolution" is really about love - the love of Jewish people for one another. Fleisher told audiences: "When I asked my friends in Israel what I could bring them back from the U.S., they said, 'how about a million Jews?' Now that's love!"
Fleisher, who is also a talk show host on Israel National Radio, Arutz 7's online English-language radio, and Orenstein visited synagogues, homes, and colleges, speaking about the future of Israel and the role of American Jews in the Jewish land. They also met with leaders of various Aliyah organizations in the U.S., handing out 2,000 pins reading "I'm Making Aliyah" and "Aliyah Revolution," as well as "The Matrix"-themed T-shirts suggesting that Aliyah is the Jews' way out of "the matrix" of the Diaspora.
Fleisher and his wife Malkah made Aliyah themselves over a year ago. Meeting with groups considering Aliyah, he affirmed the potential of American Jews to improve the State of Israel, and fielded questions on issues ranging from financial planning to finding the right community in Israel. Fleisher stressed that the return of the Jewish people is the "fulfillment of prophecies, and the greatest project that the Jewish people have embarked upon in the last 2,000 years." He noted that the majority of the Jewish people will soon live in the land of Israel; "so how about you as well?"
For Fleisher, the "Aliyah Revolution" is really about love - the love of Jewish people for one another. Fleisher told audiences: "When I asked my friends in Israel what I could bring them back from the U.S., they said, 'how about a million Jews?' Now that's love!"