This
Christmas Help Break Tourism Record, Visit Israel, Make Aliya
By
Joel Leyden
Israel News Agency
New
York, NY---- December 23, 2010 ..... It's been 23 years since
this writer has experienced Christmas in the US.
No
matter where you look, where you go, what you hear, you can not
escape America's most celebrated holiday - Christmas.
Almost every home is decorated with brightly colored, cheerful
Christmas lights. Every store is saturated with red and green
colors. Christmas music with Salvation Army volunteers twisting
their wrists in nonstop motion ringing bells.
From
TV, radio and the Web 2.0 to Starbucks, Walmart and CVS, from
New York, Hartford and Miami to Los Angeles, Chicago and the Vail,
Aspen and Killington ski resorts - it is Christmas.
A
time for family, friends and businesses to celebrate relationships,
eggnog and sales.
But
for much of the Jewish population in the US, it is a lonesome
time. Jews celebrate Hannukah. We may embrace the Christmas spirit
of joy, peace and happiness, but it is not our holiday as Ramadan
is not a Jewish holiday.
Unlike
Israel, where one would have to travel to Bethlehem, Nazareth,
Jaffa or a handful of restaurants in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem to
see the word Christmas, here in the US, it's the world biggest
party, but the Jews have not been invited. And even if we have
been encouraged to join in at Christmas office parties, sing festive
songs and eat Christmas cakes and ginger bread men, many feel
as the wrong person in the wrong place.
What
to do?
Visit
the sunny, warm beaches of Israel. Get that suntan while enjoying
hikes in the Negev, walking through the old, ancient streets of
Jerusalem, say a pray at the Western Wall, plant a tree in the
Carmel Forest near Haifa, enjoy Tel Aviv nightlife or even get
in some skiing at the Israel well groomed, modern ski resort Mt.
Hermon.
You
can join the record-breaking tourism to Israel, which has enjoyed
over 3 million visitors - 700,000 more than in 2009 - arriving
in Israel.
Some
2.4 million of them are Christian pilgrims.
'Tourism is a bridge to peace and dialogue among cultures,' says
the Israel's Tourism Ministry of Tourism. 'Most importantly, tourism
can also contribute to building trust between our nations.'
So
if one really wants to celebrate peace, contribute to Israel's
economy as a tourist.
And
if you like what you see - come live in Israel.
Making
Aliya or immigrating to Israel is coming home.
In
fact, approximately 110,000 North American immigrants live in
Israel. There has been a steady flow of Olim from the US since
Israel declared independence in 1948. Record numbers of Jews from
the US arrived in the late 1960s after the Six-Day War, and in
the 1970s. Like Western European immigrants, North Americans tend
to immigrate to Israel more for religious, ideological and political
purposes, and not financial ones.
Nefesh B'Nefesh, which was founded in 2002 by Rabbi Yehoshua Fass
and Tony Gelbart, works to encourage Aliyah from North America
and the UK by providing financial assistance, employment services
and streamlined governmental procedures. Nefesh BNefesh
works in cooperation with the Jewish Agency and the Israel Government
in increasing the numbers of North American and UK Olim.
In
2009, Aliyah from the US and Canada was at its highest level in
36 years - a total of 3,324 North Americans immigrated to Israel.
Not
all who make Aliya survive. Given the large cultural differences
and financial challenges of finding employment and enough money
to pay your rent and gas, many return to the US.
The
number of Israelis living in the United States grew by about 30
percent over the past decade, according to newly released US Census
Bureau figures.
Some 140,323
people living in the United States today were born in Israel,
up from 109,720 in 2000. Of the Israelis living here, 90,179 have
US citizenship.
But Israeli
expatriates and Israel government sources say the true figure
is actually much higher. An Israel Foreign Ministry study in 2003
reported that 500,000 Israelis were living in the US, according
to the Israeli daily Yediot Achronot.
The numbers
suggest that migration to America from Israel exceeds American
immigration to Israel, or Aliyah. From 2000 through 2009, 23,640
US citizens made Aliyah, according to the Jewish Agency for Israel.
If such numbers
are to be believed, then there are at least half a million Israelis
in America, affirming the Israeli Foreign Ministry report of 2003.
Aside from New York and Los Angeles, the metropolitan areas of
Boston, San Francisco and Miami have significant Israeli populations.
So which figures
are more accurate, the census figures or the Jewish estimates?
Leonard Saxe,
director of the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis
University, notes that many Israelis in the United States are
here temporarily and may not be counted as residents.
He also states
that many people holding Israel passports may not have been born
in Israel but in the former Soviet Union or the US. They would
not show up in the Census Bureau statistics but would be counted
as Israel citizens by most other estimates, including those of
the Israeli government.
But even if
Aliya is not a total success, just having contributed to Israel
for a few years would be counted as a success. As some US Jews
return to New York, Chicago or LA, they come back with a renewed
and vibrant sense of being Jewish.
Jason Alster,
an award winning researcher in the fields of neuro-diagnostics
and the author of Leaving
Home, Going Home, Returning Home, states: "My book
is a positive account on how to follow your dreams. That home
is where you make it. And that the Jewish people of today are
different than they were 50 years ago."
Alster, whose
book is actually ground breaking in that it is perhaps the only
objective, positive and honest account which addresses Americans
who have made Aliya and then returned to the US.
"In discovering
America and Israel one of the things that I noticed is what differentiates
Americans from Israel is what we refer to as the pursuit of happiness.
This is a fundamental part of Americana in contrast to Israel
which is a different form of democracy which places a priority
on Jewish values over individualism."
Alster adds:
"As one who is interested in the success of other people,
and drawing upon my own personal successful Aliya (immigration),
I wanted to write a detailed account that others could relate
to. These could be those contemplating Aliya, those who have made
Aliya and those who have returned from Israel. The book also serves
as an excellent resource for diplomats, media professionals, cross
cultural practitioners and educators who seek a greater understanding
of Israeli culture."
"Since
the five years that I wrote Leaving Home, Going Home, Returning
Home it has been brought to my attention that a significant
amount of people moved back from Israel and I feel that one of
the main reasons is that they lost their native support system.
I am referring to those who came before such brilliant organizations
such as Birthright and Nefesh B'Nefesh came into existence."
Alster adds:
"The Jewish Agency neglected to follow up on those who made
Aliya. Many who made Aliya became like a kind of Hayal Boded -
a lone soldier who were forced to fend for themselves without
the natural protexia or born into networking that Sabras, native
born Israelis enjoy. I am pleased that there are new organizations
today such as Nefesh
BNefesh and Gvahim that look after Olim throughout the
entire aliya process. They bring badly needed US skills, culture
and money into Israel."
Finding
a job in Israel is one of the key factors for a successful transition
into life in Israel, said Director of Employment of Nefesh
BNefesh Rachel Berger. Providing potential Olim with
a better understanding of the Israeli job market helps build their
Aliyah confidence and preparedness and is vital for ensuring their
successful integration into Israeli life.
It is this
sort of professionalism reflected in Berger's statement that truly
gives making Aliya a real and honest chance to succeed. And as
part of Nefesh B'Nefeshs expanded programming aimed at providing
the most comprehensive Aliyah information, guidance and inspiration
to potential Olim, the organization has conducted a series of
Mega Aliyah events in major cities across North America.
As for his
take on Christmas, Alster, a Hartford resident adds: "Christmas
is a holiday my Christian neighbors celebrate and for them it
is all about love. This I have to respect it as I wish they would
celebrate my Jewish holidays with me. After all we are both actors
in the same movie of the Judea Christian tradition."
So this Christmas,
rather than feel alienated come home to Israel.
Come as a
tourist. Come as an immigrant. Whether you stay for two weeks
or 20 years, enjoy the sun, enjoy the history, enjoy your land.
And should
you ever miss that Christmas spirit, warm eggnog, white and red
candy canes and snowy pictures of Santa Claus you have Mike's
Place restaurant just feet away from those playing volleyball
on the Tel Aviv beach.