Date sent: Sun, 17 Jun 2001 10:10:31 +0200 From: Eli Birnbaum To: Informal Aliyah discussion group Subject: Why not to make Aliyah Shalom All I am enclosing excerpts of a letter sent out over the Internet last week along with my reply: ******** The Jewish Partisan Rivka Lowenstein: Anti-Zionist ..The problem does not reside with the UN, CNN, with Eric Yoffie or Peace Now .... the problem lies with th(ose) who have occupied the Prime Minister's office in Jerusalem and the citizens who elected them. Each and every Israeli leader...from at least '67 forward, has done exactly the same thing as the Arabs: they've used their brethren as cheap cannon fodder ...and to perpetuate themselves and their associates in power. Now I know this is where Israelis chime in right on cue: "It's easy to criticize from America, come here and make a difference." What a sick joke! .. . I don't like those odds.I'll take my chances in the subway. Get real. What American in his right mind would leave to participate in a society that keeps perpetuating the same deadly mistakes? What parent in his right mind would send a kid to a perpetual war zone instead of the Poconos? ...What New Yorker ...would leave to be governed by suckers...who keep trying to win the Arab's rigged Shell Game ..? ..I for one am on to your scam. You've had fifty-three years of numerous miracles to get it right and you've squandered every one. Grow up already. Before you have the gall to ask me to give up Bloomingdale's, the Met and East Hampton the people and government of the State of Israel will have to wake up and show me some wisdom, leadership and strength. Until then, I'm staying put.... Address all complaints to the Prime Minister of Israel, I'm currently having my hair done. -- Rivka ***************** My response: How can you live in Israel ? "Have you read about the latest clashes between religious and secular - Right and left? What about - rude Israelis, corrupt government, and terror attacks? Why should my son go into the army to defend this government's insane policies? The government doesn't give a damm about its citizens. Why should I live there? And finally - you are denying your children their full potential, which only a Western education can give." Sound familiar? I saw a letter sent over the Internet with many of these comments (and worse) a few days ago. Often we have heard 'friends' and relatives use some of the above to justify remaining abroad or not sending their children to visit. Basically they are looking for an excuse showing how reasonable and right they are for not making aliyah. I understand them. I understand their need to justify, not doing what they believe in or what they profess to believe in anyway and to not be cornered into considering themselves hypocritical. It is human nature to justify our actions or inaction's but the bottom line is that justification is another name for excuse. Rav Motti Alon compared people like this to the spies sent out by Moshe. While we wandered in Sinai we had very little to do; God provided us with all our needs. All we had to do was pray, and puff - we received manna. Now Am Yisrael was at the threshold of the Promised Land . There while we would still pray to God - we had to do our share as well- "Vaatem Tacharishun ." The job of the spies was not to determine the strength of its inhabitants, or measure the height of the walled cities. Rather they were asked to discover how to facilitate the move from one life style to another. Herein lay their failure. They saw the "giants," and the walls -- the problems -- instead of seeing the challenge. The spies or at least the majority of them decided it is better to remain in the desert. "It's much more comfortable, not having to worry about security, rain and corruption. Do we really want to contend with this?" Their answer was no - "Let us remain in Galut, in Sinai, and keep the easy life. Here we can learn Torah without having to worry about farming the land and defending ourselves. Here we can be closer to God without diluting ourselves with the day to day mundane hassles of independence." Sometimes people ask me how can I live in Israel, let alone -in Yesha. How can you put your lives in danger? Aren't these question the same as those that faced the spies? The issue is no less than defining our existence. What is our purpose on this world? Is it to "live" or is it the "way" we live. What we do with our lives rather than how long we live? My purpose I assume, is to do the best I can; to do what I believe in. My job is not to decide how long I will live but rather how I will live. The rest is up to God. Calev and Joshua understood that the Jewish people can only be complete as a people in our own land, period. Is there some danger? Yes but the Vilna Gaon, the Ramban and other great Jewish luminaries encouraged Aliyah when governments were far more corrupt, when lives were gravely in danger, when people died here from the plague and there was almost no way to earn a living. They understood that for many people it was impossible at the time but they still held up the idea. What would they say today to those who justify their dismissal of aliyah because, " I would have to really lower my standard of living," or " I can't stand this right wing / left-wing government" or " I hate a government that wants to give back part of Eretz Hakodesh" or yet "I cant stand a government which is harassing the Palestinian population" Need I go on? Look around you. For the first time since the destruction of the first temple we are soon to witness the majority of Jews living in their own country. Think about it for a second. Soon we may have to contend with a real Yovel ( Jubilee) and Shmitah . Do you wish to be part of a Jewish renaissance? Or will you again remain on the sidelines and wait another 40 years in the desert? -- Eli Birnbaum Director Internet Services The Jewish Agency / World Zionist Organization http://www.jafi.org.il http://www.Jewishsites.org http://www.Jewishhistory.org.il