Joshua Wander, one of the founders of the “Aliyah Commandos” has returned to Israel after attending the Agudah Convention 2024 which took place last week in Stamford, Connecticut. Billed as: “The Believers Convention – We’re Here Because We Believe,” the three-day gathering of several hundred Agudah Rabbis and community educators was highlighted by discussions such as: Strengthening Emunah in Turbulent Times; Facing the Future in a World Gone Mad; Strengthening Shalom Bayit, and many more important topics. The subject of Aliyah was not included in the agenda. So why did Aliyah activist Joshua Wander attend? I interviewed Josh to find out more about his trip.
How was it? If you could sum up your reaction while standing on one leg, how would you describe your trip?
“Heartbreaking. With some rays of hope.”
Why heartbreaking?
“While October 7th and the great increase of Anti-Semitism throughout the world have shaken the foundations of Diaspora Jewry, it’s business as usual for Orthodoxy in America. I encountered a lot of denial. Among the 100 Rabbis I approached some were open to discuss the importance of Aliyah but most were closed down completely to the idea.”
What was your goal in attending the conference?
“I wanted to try to open a serious dialogue about the vital importance of Aliyah at this crossroad in our history. The philosophy of Agudah and other Orthodox streams in America has long been characterized by the strengthening of Jewish life in Galut. They still believe there is a future for Jews in America. To me it is the same blindness that gripped the Rabbis and their congregations in Europe before the Holocaust. If you mention that to them they call you an alarmist. Anticipating their reaction I brought along a couple dozen copies of the book ‘Eim HaBanim Semeichah’ to hand out for free. Most of the Rabbis had never read the book but at least I persuaded many of them to take it.”
Why “Eim HaBanim Semeichah”?
“The book was written by Rabbi Isachar Teichtel who was a famous Halachic authority and anti-Zionist in Hungary. He changed his weltanschauung completely during the Holocaust. He writes that the disaster occurred precisely because we failed to hear the call of the Torah to make the Promised Land our home and not the ghettos of Europe. His book, expertly translated into English by Rabbi Moshe Lichtman, is a Halachic treatise proving that the mitzvah to live in the Land of Israel is a Torah commandment in all generations. Nonetheless, Rabbi Teichtel was painfully aware that his words would fall on deaf ears, very much the reaction I encountered. He writes in his introduction: ‘The same (rejection of living in the Land of Israel personified by the Spies of the Wilderness) holds true in our times even among Rabbis, Rebbes and Chassidim. This one has a good rabbinical position; this one is an established Admore and this one has a profitable business or factory, or a prestigious job which provides great satisfaction. They are afraid that their status will decline if they go to Eretz Yisrael. People of this sort are influenced by their deep-rooted selfish motives to such an extent that they themselves do not realize that their prejudice speaks on their behalf. They will not be convinced to accept the truth, even if they are shown thousands of proofs from the Torah.’ Unfortunately, as Rabbi Teichtal predicted, his calls for Aliyah were ignored. He himself was killed while being transported to a death camp but his message and warning book live on.”
Certainly, in the course of the conference there must have been mention of the Hamas attack on Israel and the renewed Jew hatred which has spread worldwide including on college campuses in America and in Orthodox conclaves?
“Of course. It couldn’t be avoided. Many people feel that something is happening but can’t quite put their finger on it. Most of the rabbis are calling for additional and more concentrated prayers as a result. I had many arguments with attendees as to whether what we are experiencing in Eretz Yisrael is a Milchemet Mitzvah. The consensus is that it is not -because that would require everyone to join the army. One of the Roshei Yeshiva of Lakewood said to me, “You and I are in a contest as to who can bring Moshiach first!” At least one Rebbitzen told me off-the-record that the families of many Rabbis would move to Israel in a heartbeat if their husbands agreed to give of their rabbinic position. While most of my conversations were cordial, some bordered on the infuriating. I stayed up one night until 2:30 arguing with a Rosh Yeshiva who refused to even entertain the idea that I might have a point. The spokesperson for Agudah asked me what I thought of the conference. I asked him if he wanted the truth? With a look of worry he said, yes. I told him that he had better prepare next year’s conference in Jerusalem. I told another Rosh Yeshiva from Lakewood that they are busy practicing and learning the theory of the Torah, but are afraid to put it into practice. The two highlights for me were Rabbi Reuven Feinstein’s Q&A session. It was encouraging to hear the son of Rabbi Moshe Feinstein state that anyone who will have a parnassah in Israel should go on Aliyah. All others should keep a valid passport close by, he warned. And the Noviminsker Rebbe spoke extremely fondly of Eretz Yisrael and encouraged people to go home. He was also very knowledgeable of the topics surrounding the debate and even engaged me, while whispering, on controversial subjects like service in the army and the Temple Mount. That’s why I say the conference was both enjoyable and disturbing. I think I accomplished my goal of making some Jews in golus think more deeply about their situations and how best to present Aliyah to their communities. I handed out lots of ‘Zionist’ books based on the foundations of Torah which most people have weren’t familiar with. Although there were reasons for hope in the overall darkness, many people are so set in their ways that they can’t even have a coherent conversation about Aliyah without getting very defensive and making outdated and ridiculous statements.”
Can you give an example?
“Some still cling to the ‘Three Oaths’ in insisting that any mass Aliyah before the Mashiach’s arrival is strictly prohibited. They claim that we are not allowed to settle the Land of Israel in large numbers in opposition to the Gentiles. Where have they been for the past 100 years? Don’t they read newspapers or history books? Aren’t they familiar with the decisions of the United Nations, the League of Nations, and the Balfour Declaration all granting permission for the Jewish People to establish a Jewish State in the Land of Israel? Don’t they see that Israel has miraculously become one of the most powerful nations in the world? Don’t they see how Hashem has already gathered millions of Jews to Israel without waiting for the arrival of Mashiach. It is so frustrating you can scream.”
