Aliya Stuff
In honor of my parents' plans to fulfil their life-long dream, which is to BE"H make Aliya next month, here are some recent posts and articles I saw about Aliya:
Aish.com: Why Make Aliya?
Artzeinu: 100 Tips for Succesful Aliyah & Klita
Tamar Yonah Blog: History Won't Wait For You - Sell & Get Out Now
Tomer Devorah: Aliyah
On the other hand, here's a post that makes very valid points:
Jewish End of Days: Dangerous Overconfidence
Comments are welcome, but comments that ask "Nu, when are you coming?" will not be replied to. My family will come when the time is right.
posted by yaak @ 1/13/2010 11:54:00 AM
7 comments
7 Comments:
Nu...never mind.
Best wishes for a successful klita for your parents.
:-)
Thanks.
Re: "Dangerous Overconfidence"
I did not reply to the original post, but I will here, with your indulgence.
First they say it isn't about the gashmiut and then they say: "Can a person really provide for a family of 4 or more kids making 25-50 shekels an hour in E”Y? "
The answer to that question is "no." A person can't but Hashem can. In any case, Hashem is always the Provider, no matter where we are, only in E"Y it's more obvious.
I've been here fourteen years. I came at age 42 with teenagers. I make the same 25 sh an hr as I started out with and prices have quadrupled in that time. I have no help from family in America and no other source of income. I came to this country with 2000 dollars. Realistically, this is not possible, but Hashem manages to do it, month after month, year after year. I've never gone without anything I absolutely needed and I can say right now today that I have everything I need. I do not worry about tomorrow. Each day takes care of its own needs. Tomorrow never comes, there is only today. I was very fortunate to have been born poor so I learned to live like this in my formative years and do not have any feeling of being deprived.
I'll tell you a story. One day, my old winter coat finally wore out and I needed a new pair of shoes (I have three pairs, Shabbat shoes, sandals and houseshoes and these were bought for me when I was in the hospital). I went to a clothing gemach and there I found a beautiful winter coat that was just my size and a nearly new pair of shoes, also my size to match the coat and even a purse to go with it all. The whole price was 6 sheqels for all of it, about a dollar fifty at the time.
Also, I was needing bed sheets and towels since so many that I had brought with me were wearing out and one day a person came into where I work and said they had sheets and towels to donate to some needy person, brand new still in the wrappings. As I was wondering to myself whether it would be alright to take them for myself, the person turned around at the door and said as if in answer to my unspoken thought that I could even keep them if I knew anyone who could use them. I wasn't even supposed to be there at that particular time on that day. Hashem knows how to provide for his own if we are willing to do things His way.
In truth, I don't think it is so much an attachment to gashmiut as it is lack of faith in Hashem. I think Jews believe too much in their own hishtadlut and fail to recognize the hashgacha that more than matches it.
I and two family members have been hospitalized this past year and thank G-d no one has had to pay for any of it. Everything was paid for by the kupah on basic coverage which costs me the equivalent of $25 a month. If we'd been in America, we'd all be bankrupt now.
Haslichah to your parents Yaak.
And to Devash I always appreciate your honesty and admire your emunah. Its good to know you, as it were.
HaSepharadi
Devash: i hear what you are saying, but.... what if people have elderly/sick family members, do we just leave them behind?
And realistically, I know people in Israel who are relying on financial support from friends/family in the diaspora. If not for that support, they would not be able to remain there.
I also know people who have attempted aliya, but returned because they couldn't survive. (Maybe they didn't have enough emunah to begin with.....)
Devorah, I'm not judging anyone else. I'm not walking in their shoes. But if it was me, if my family member depended on me, if they had no one else and couldn't make it without me, I would bring them with me and come. There are after all elderly and sick people in Israel, too. We have old age homes, live-in caretakers, hospitals, doctors.
As we can see already, the money in chu"l is beginning to dry up. Those who depend on it would be wise to use this time to prepare a local source of income for their families and pave the way for those who have been supporting them to follow. What are they going to go back to with a 22% unemployment rate?
Look, it's difficult, but you know what the hardest part is? It isn't difficulty finding work. There is lots of work to be had. No, it's learning the language and dealing with the cultural differences. If you are fluent in both Hebrew and English, you can make a good living. If you don't yet know Hebrew, you can manage until you do. And yes, that's hard, too. Truth be told, those who don't have an independent source of income or who go back, do so because "it's too hard." But building your place in Olam Haba is supposed to be hard. And earning the right to live in Days of Mashiach is supposed to be hard.
We have it "easy" in the countries of our dispersion because our ancestors took the hard road and became immigrants. They did it for future generations to reap the benefits. The same is true for the Israeli immigrants of today. Their great-grandchildren will truly reap the benefits of the hardships of today. Maybe our generation is too selfish to sacrifice for future generations? Where did we ever get the idea that we owe it to our children to never have to suffer or sacrifice? Since when do we not hold up mesirut nefesh as a holy virtue?
Hashem never gave us anything of value that came easy and that's the truth of the entire matter.
That is such wonderful news about your parents! Congratulations to them on making their dream come true. I wish for them all the best.
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