American Jews still move to Israel during Mideast crisis
By The Associated Press 
(Via Jerusalem Post - June 15, 2001)

A suburban family leaving their comfortable life and home in 
south Florida might not raise eyebrows - moves happen. But when 
mom, dad and two little kids are headed for a small nation torn 
by months of violence, it's another matter. 

Leigh and Daniel Bar-Yakov of Coral Springs are about to emigrate 
to Israel with their son, Noam, 5, and 8-month-old daughter, 
Penina. Relatives worry about the Bar-Yakovs' safety, but the 
couple feels compelled to make the move. 

They aren't alone. Last year, more than 1,000 Jews from the 
United States and Canada decided to "make aliyah" - to pack up 
and move to Israel, permanently. 

They are driven by a combination of factors: belief that God 
ordained Israel as the Jewish homeland, and a desire to support 
and live in a Jewish nation state, among them. 

"We both feel that it's our personal roles to live in Israel," 
said Leigh Bar-Yakov, who is studying for a doctorate in 
psychology. "We have some path to complete there in our lives." 

Making aliyah is made possible by the "Law of Return," passed by 
the Israeli parliament in 1950. It grants the right to Israeli 
citizenship to anyone with a Jewish grandparent. Israel also 
provides financial assistance after the move. 

Over the last half-century, Jews from around the world have taken 
advantage of the law. American Jews who make aliyah can also keep 
their US citizenship. 

Palestinian-Americans are unable to make a similar move to Israel, 
a situation they see as unfair. 

"American Jews can move to a settlement in the West Bank. 
A Palestinian, an American whose family hails from what is 
today Israel ... cannot go back," said James Zogby, president 
of the Arab American Institute. 

For Jews, the religious basis for their belief in Israel as a 
sacred homeland comes from Genesis 15:13-20, in which God bequeaths 
the land to Abraham's descendants. 

"Fundamentally in Judaism, just like we believe that there is a 
God, so too we believe Israel is our homeland. 

You can't have Judaism without Israel," said Rabbi Mark Cohn, 
who will head to Israel with his wife, Shira, and their seven 
children in mid-July. 

Today, Jews are doing what they couldn't do for nearly 2,000 years, 
said Daniel Eisenberg, spokesman for Tehilla, a group that provides 
social and psychological assistance to future immigrants. 

"(In) the traditional prayers, Israel is mentioned again and 
again ... the better question is, why are people staying in 
America?" he said. 

Dozens of people joined the Bar-Yakovs, who will depart in late 
September, at a farewell party in North Miami for those who have 
chosen to emigrate to Israel. 

Local Jewish leaders made speeches, the Tehilla organization 
distributed books about Israel written by a Holocaust victim 
and some emigrants filled out immigration documents. 

But it wasn't an entirely festive occasion. Asked for her reaction 
to her daughter's upcoming move, Rosalind Rice, Leigh Bar-Yakov's 
mother, said crisply: "I have mixed feelings." 

Some honored at the party have already sold their homes, left 
their careers, live in temporary housing and have started taking 
Hebrew classes. 

They have also met with the director of the Israel Aliya Center 
in Miami, Ran Sagee, who advises them on where to live, subsidies 
offered to immigrants, and other services. 

Those who choose to leave recognize they're making a serious 
commitment. 

"Many people have sacrificed themselves in one way or another to 
ensure the existence of the state of Israel," said Howard Schulman, 
a 40-year-old retired deputy sheriff. 

"I think, for me personally, that now it's my time to do my share 
and I regret that there aren't more North American Jews that feel 
that way." 

But the events of the last nine months may have made now a 
particularly difficult time to move. Nearly 500 Palestinians and 
more than 100 Israelis have died in the violence that began last 
September, including two Americans who settled in the disputed 
West Bank, where some 200,000 Israelis live. 

The US State Department has also warned US citizens to defer 
travel to Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. 

The number of Canadians and Americans emigrating to Israel has 
dropped from 2,503 in 1995 to 1,401 in 2000, according to 
Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics. 

"Some people would think this is the wrong time to go. I think 
it's the best time to go. I think that Jews are motivated by 
a call to a challenge," said Spencer Levine, an attorney who 
recently left for Israel with his wife, Judith, and their 
three young daughters. 

"The truth is, if people like us stop going, then what right 
do we have to call it our homeland?" asked Leigh Bar-Yakov.