In the aftermath of last week’s Emergency Aliyah Conference in Jerusalem, attended by dozens of longtime grassroots Aliyah activists, proposals were formulated and several of the strategies are already getting underway with the goal of increasing Aliyah and inspiring Jewish youth in America to begin or complete their college and Master’s degrees in Israel.
To alert students who are presently wrapping up the year and heading back to their homes for the summer, a massive social media “blitz” is to be launched, covering all the popular social networks, inviting Jewish students to continue their learning in Israel. The Government of Israel in cooperation the Israel Student Authority, Israel Universities, and NBN, is offering attractive incentives and providing free tuition for students making Aliyah. Full university bachelor-degree curriculums are being created in ENGLISH in Israel universities in various majors to offer the beleaguered college students in America a real option for escape and a new beginning in Israel.
Further information can be found at: https://govextra.gov.il/moia/academic-programs-in-english/home/
In addition to the social media blitz, in order to mobilize modern Orthodox communities throughout America to build a better and more secure Jewish future in Israel, the organizers of the Emergency Aliyah Conference hope to send waves of “Aliyah Commandos” throughout the summer to 50 major Jewish communities, 2 to each community for a period of two weeks. Each team of shlichim will be armed with news of all of the latest opportunities for olim.
Their message will be: IT’S TIME TO COME HOME! Avi Abelow, one of the grassroots activists, says, “Jews in America should make sure to obtain as quickly as possible their authenticated birth certificate and a letter from a Rabbi confirming they are Jews. With these documents they can come to Israel as a tourist and do the aliyah process in Israel, including obtaining the required FBI check and other documents which may be needed. Even if people are not ready to decide on aliyah, if they have these two basic documents they can leave quickly to Israel if they have to should the current already frightening worsen in some dramatic way.”
Within the upcoming weeks a “Recruitment Drive” for energetic and idealistic shlichim will be held in Jerusalem to assemble the force of Aliyah Commandos.
“THE GREAT CALL”
Abelow maintains that Diaspora Rabbis must begin to encourage aliyah. To help inspire this change, following the example of Rabbi Kook’s dramatic call to the Orthodox Jews of the Diaspora, leading Rabbis in Israel are being asked to issue a joint proclamation calling on Rabbis and Jewish educators in the Diaspora to actively teach the Torah commandment of living in Israel and to urge their communities to begin the Aliyah process immediately due to the likelihood that the atmosphere for Jews in America will worsen as long as Israel is forced to actively defend itself against its non-relentless enemies.
One of the organizers of the aliyah conference, Joshua Wander of the Bring Them Home website targeting Orthodox Jews, states that an effort will be made to enlist the Chabad organization into the battle. “Chabad and its worldwide army of shlichim must be called upon to jump on the aliyah bandwagon and hand out aliyah brochures in addition to teaching about Yiddishkeit,” he maintains. “Likewise, Chabad must be pushed to relocate its world headquarters to Israel as a beacon to all Jews that ‘From Zion shall go forth the Torah and the word of the L-rd from Jerusalem.’”
ON EL AL’S WINGS
“Israel was caught unprepared for the Hamas attack on October 7,” Wander explains. “In the aftermath of this painful wake-up call and with the tsunami of increasing worldwide anti-Semitism, the Government of Israel must formulate an emergency plan to evacuate Diaspora Jews to Israel in the event of violence against Diaspora Jewry. As the war in Israel continues, El Al will be the only airline making the Israel-United States route. Already we have seen how anti-Israel demonstrations have closed down highways leading to JFK and the Los Angeles Airport. Concurrently, the Government of Israel must begin to build the proper infrastructure to absorb the mass wave of Diaspora refugees who may soon seek a safer haven in Israel. Just as the Government recently purchased 50,000 tents to house new foreign workers from India and Thailand, so too emergency ‘Tent Cities’ must be created to provide temporary housing until other permanent solutions can be established. Obviously, it would be much better if the construction of Aliyah cities begin right away.”
Wander says that a small group of Aliyah Commandos will be flying to New York on May 27 to set the groundwork for future teams. Pro-Israel activists in various colleges will be contacted, including meetings with Rabbis and Jewish community leaders. The group will remain until Jerusalem Day.
Anyone interested in helping the emergency effort can whatsapp Joshua Wander at 972-584005260.
