Immigrant Program
Section #1
Israel’s Law of Return - 5710/1950 - all Jews are granted immediate citizenship to Israel, or return to their homeland.
Two major mitzvot: Pidyon Shvuyim (redeeming the captive) and making aliyah.
On the 5th day of the month of Iyar, 5708, May 14, 1948, upon declaring the founding of Israel as the Jewish State in the Land of Israel, David Ben Gurion appealed to world Jewry, saying, "We call upon the Jewish people throughout the Diaspora to unite with us in our homeland by making aliyah, by building the land, and by taking part in the momentous undertaking of the redemption of the Jewish people, which has been the dream of generations."
“Aliyah is the central goal of the state of Israel”-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
Section #2
It’s a major problem when Jews only represent 33% of the population in central portions of the Galilee IN ISRAEL PROPER.
When the annual Jewish internal birth rate is 1.2% stacked up against an annual non-Jewish birth rate of 3.1% it is a problem.
If one million Jews had not come to Israel over the past decade, the Jewish majority in Israel would already be at dangerous levels.
Immigration to Israel, which exceeded one million Jews during the 90s, has dropped precipitously, receding in 2003 to the lowest level since 1988. Just 25,000 olim came to Israel last year, cutting population growth to 1.7 percent.
Section #3
Ethiopian Jews, now known as Beta Israel, caught the attention of the world-wide Jewish community when Christian missionaries tried to convert them.
A huge famine in the 1980’s finally prompted Israel to bring Ethiopians to Israel in massive numbers.
From November 1984 - January 1985 Israel secretly airlifted 8000 Ethiopian Jews from Sudan to Israel.
In 1990, Ethiopia and Israel came to an agreement under which Ethiopian Jews would be allowed to leave under the auspices of family reunification. Thousands began leaving Gonder (a city in Ethiopia) for Addis Ababa (Ethiopia’s capital). The Ethiopian government enacted quotas based on time spent in Sudan or Addis Ababa, ill-health, age, position within the community and other similar factors.
In1991 the political and economic situation in Ethiopia declined severely. In May rebel forces took control of Addis Ababa.
Operation Solomon: Beginning on May 24, 1991 Israeli El Al jets flew nonstop for 36 hours from Addis Ababa to Israel transporting 14,325 Ethiopian Jews to safety. Seats were taken out of the planes to fit the maximum amount of people.
Once in Israel immigrants are brought to absorption centers where they are provided with housing, schooling, instruction in Hebrew, and other necessities. Absorption centers help ease an immigrant into Israeli lifestyle.
Israel is a home to Jews from all over the world: Jews from the Former Soviet Union are so prevalent in Israel that they have their own political party (Yisrael B’aluyah). There are also many Jews from Argentina where Jews have been suffering from tremendous economic distress.
21,000 immigrants came to Israel since May 2003. Slightly more than half of this year's immigrants hail from the former Soviet Union, 2,600 are from Ethiopia, 1,800 are from France, 1,600 are from the United States, and 1,200 are from Argentina.
Section #4
Not only is Israel a haven for oppressed Jews around the world, it is also the homeland for Jews everywhere. It is the land of our ancestors. It is our spiritual heart and soul.
Would you make aliyah? Why or why not?
Immigrant
program.Fall 2004
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