Aliyah Blog

RabbiMichaelGreen.com

2008-09-24T07:49:57Z

In my professional life, I work on website development as a software engineer. I work on the side sometimes doing freelance work making personal websites for different people. I recently finished a website that might be of interest: the new homepage for Rabbi Michael Green. It includes a blog and podcast and is built using a heavily customized WordPress template. I encourage you to check it out for some Torah-related goodness. (And if you or anyone you should know might be interested in a similar setup, let me know and we’ll talk).

Buckle Up: Irresponsible and Negligent Parenting

2008-09-16T07:30:26Z

I saw a number of incidents recently that are representative of a certain mode of behavior that I notice a lot around here. Though these happened on my yishuv (current or former), I have seen the exact same thing many many times in other yishuvim, towns, highways and cities.

Incident 1: I was walking Moshe to his Maon (day care) which is located a few blocks away. A woman is pulling her car out of the driveway and offers us a ride. I look in the car: in addition to the driver, there is one child (not strapped in) in the front-passenger seat (where there is an air bag) and four children (none strapped in, some facing backwards, some standing up) sitting in the back seat. All of the children are four years old or younger. Moshe said that he wanted to walk, which saved me the trouble of refusing (if I had accepted, she would have probably thrown the fifth child into the backseat, and would have had me sit in the front seat with Moshe on my lap).

Incident 2: Picking up Moshe from Maon, I saw a father pick up his 2-3 year old daughter. He elected to drive home in his small motor scooter. He didn’t wear a helmet. And neither did his daughter, as she stood in between his legs, between him and the steering mechanism (I have subsequently seen the same person riding on his motor scooter with two of his kids, none wearing helmets).

Incident 3: A man is taking his two children home from day care. One is less about a year old, the other is about four. They are on two bicycles. The man is holding the one year old in one hand, while using his other hand to steer the bike. The four year old is on her own bike. No helmets.

Incident 4: A parent picks up their infant from day care. Sticks the kid in their car seat without strapping the kid in.

None of the parents involved in any of these incidents wants any harm to come to their children, yet in each of these cases, they are putting their children in danger and are being completely irresponsible and negligent by failing to strap their children in and/or fasten helmets. In many ways, it is part of a societal norm that has been engrained over the years (ie: “we are surrounded by countries who want to kill us, so what if I smoke/don’t buckle up/etc”). But that is no excuse (and neither is the excuse that “I was just driving locally/slowly/carefully”). Data published last Wednesday reports that since 1948, nearly 30,000 Israelis have been killed in automobile accidents (6,000 or 25% more than the total number killed in all of Israel’s wars). Here are some real life examples.

I believe that a lareg part of what olim can contribute to overall life in Israel is to introduce and encourage some positive aspects of daily life that may not be as strongly held in Israel as they are in other Western countries. This applies not just to wearing seat belts and helmets, but also to things like good customer service and politeness. In the current instance, I think that all parents should be on the lookout for such behavior, and when they see it, try to politely discourage it, talk to others about it, and at the very least make sure that your children are not being transported by people who view wearing seat belts as an “extra”.

Israel Supreme Court Power is Limited Even Further

2008-09-07T13:01:25Z

More good news related to Judicial reforms in Israel (something that I am a big fan of):

The government on Sunday approved Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann’s controversial proposal to amend the Basic Law on the Judiciary in order to limit the Supreme Court’s power…

Friedmann’s proposal would only allow the Supreme Court to strike down legislation if it goes against one of the Basic Laws, such as on human dignity and freedom or on the freedom of occupation. Currently, the court can rule that a law is invalid even if it does not contradict a Basic Law.

(Of course, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Supreme Court decided to strike down this law on the basis that it is a basic law in Israel thatt the Supreme Court gets to make up its own rules.)

It has been quite a summer for Friedmann. Now if only they can start to make some headway on the direct representation issue…

NBN to Officially Take over Aliyah from North America

2008-09-01T11:50:20Z

Well, the latest round in the Nefesh b’Nefesh vs. Jewish Agency feud has ended in favor of NBN: Jewish Agency Signs Pact: Nefesh B’Nefesh Takes Over Aliyah:

The Jewish Agency has ended a long-standing dispute with the highly successful Nefesh B’Nefesh (NBN) organization and has agreed to allow it to manage the immigration of Jews (aliyah) from North America. The Jewish Agency officially retains responsibility for moving new immigrants to Israel and will pay for a one-way air ticket to Israel, but in practice NBN will manage the actual aliyah files.

It is about time!. This has been coming for a while - ever since its launch, NBN has had a much larger and positive impact on North American aliyah than the Jewish Agency has. (Perhaps this is because NBN is proactive in marketing to potential olim and helping them through the process, both before and after aliyah, while the JA just kind of sits back and lets people come to them). I am glad that they were able to agree to this rebalancing of official positions (if only all peace negotiations could go so well).

Anything Else, Please

2008-08-29T07:21:29Z

This morning, sometime around 5:45am

Moshe: Abba, I am hungry.

Me: Moshe, what do you want to eat? Do you want some corn flakes?

Moshe: No, I don’t want flow-clakes (yes, that is how he says it, it is very cute)

Me: Maybe some cheerios?

Moshe: No, I don’t want cheerios

Me: How about some fruit?

Moshe: No, I don’t want fruit.

Me: Do you want anything else?

Moshe: Yes

Me: So tell me what you want, and I will get it for you.

Moshe: I want anything else, please

Aliyah Dreams vs. Reality

2008-08-26T19:18:22Z

Shiur Times has posted an interesting article entitled Dreams vs. Reality: How do we view Aliyah?:

Where the balance lies between optimism and pragmatism in the aliyah process is arguable. While Anglo immigrants come to Israel full of hopes and dreams, many people come under-prepared, and some even become disillusioned. However, with constantly improving online communications intertwined with the growing success of private organizations like Nefesh B’Nefesh, Anglo immigrants are coming to Israel much more informed and increasingly often.

Even for the most prepared and knowledgeable immigrant, aliyah can be challenging and eye-opening. A recent article in Haaretz reports that between 1961 and 1972, following the success of the Six Day War, Israel experienced a surge in American aliyah, yet when faced with the harsh actuality of life in Israel, nearly 60% returned to America. Since then, the resources in Israel have improved dramatically, and yeridah has significantly reduced. According to Nefesh B’Nefesh only 2% of the Anglo olim that the organization assists make yeridah.

The article profiles recent olim, all of whom came with certain expectations. Though some are able to fully integrate into their new communities and social networks, other had less success and ended up having to change their initial plans to suit their new environment and the reality of life in Israel.

The article does make a very good point at the end (my emphasis)

It seems that living in a Jewish homeland with the emotional and spiritual connection we feel towards it counterbalances the practical difficulties. Moreover, the quality of life and general feeling of satisfaction outweighs the challenges and occasional frustrations. Although many admit to having unrealistic expectations, it is our very dreams and delusions which enable us to actually make the big jump, and which are the necessities of aliyah. In the words of Herzl, “If you will it, it is no dream.”

Aliyah is definitely not an easy process, even in the best scenario. But with the different support networks in place today (like NBN and the online community), the overall aliyah “success rate” is higher than ever. Though many people’s expectations are unreasonable and a bit unrealistic, given the fact that in the end of the day they are picking up their lives and moving to a foreign country, these attitudes that are typical of today’s olim are a very real and important stage in the overall aliyah process.

The Summer is Almost Over. You Know What that Means?

2008-08-21T13:19:33Z

Yes, the new season is about to begin.

No, silly, I am not talking about the NFL. Nope, in Israel there is a different type of Fall tradition (timed to coincide with the reopening of schools and count down to the chagim):

I am talking about the official opening of strike season. Unions May Shut Down Country Over Budget:

National Histadrut labor union leader Ofir Eini has threatened to shut down the country with a strike if the Cabinet approves the proposed 2009 budget at its next meeting on Sunday. The Finance Ministry proposal includes widespread cuts in spending on defense and social service programs.

“I intend to warn the Cabinet ministers on the danger inherent in approving the budget,” he said. “I hope the ministers will not raise their hands in favor of the proposal because it will cause a layoff of workers and instability in the economy.”

A Histadrut strike could affect the Prime Minister’s Office, as well as the Interior, Transportation, Education, Foreign, Welfare, Defense and Health Ministries, the Tax Authority, the Israel Land Administration and Bank of Israel offices. The effects also would be felt at government hospitals, the Israel Broadcasting Authority, the National Insurance Institute, the Postal Authority, the Electric Company and Ben-Gurion Airport, among other government institutions.

The part that cracks me up is that Eini is threatening to strike because if the budget goes through, it will cause “instability in the economy”. Am I the only one who sees the inherent contradiction in bringing all major services in the country to a screeching halt in order to prevent instability to the economy?

Oy Vey. Socialism at its finest.

Jerusalem Railcars on the Move

2008-08-20T11:58:39Z

I was driving into Yerushalayim yesterday and passed something that I have seen not seen before on an Israeli road (and as it is not uncommon to see Trailer trucks carrying Merkava IV tanks around the country, that is saying something). Here is what I saw:

I haven’t seen one of these before, but I am assuming that this is one of the new (Citadis) light rail trains that are soon to start service on the streets of Jerusalem (my guess is that the train car was shipped from France by boat through Ashdod and was on its way to Jerusalem via Route 3). I have seen Jerusalem streets being torn up over this project for most of the past decade, and as a former Bostonite have come to regard the project as the Israeli version of the Big Dig. Well, it looks like the end is in site (and as I saw yesterday that Jaffa Street was completely uprooted and torn up, the end had better be in site). And the trolley car did look nice.

A Little Attitude Goes a Long Way

2008-07-30T14:09:02Z

See the excellent post by Jameel @ Muqata entitled Attitude: the Oleh’s Best Friend. Here he goes through a bunch of examples that describe of how in some ways things are very messed up things are in Israel, while in others, things are getting better. In the end:

The choice to make is this; are you going to have a positive attitude and approach every problem as a challenge? Are you going to view the absorption process with a smile? Are you going to make the best of a difficult situation because we have no real alternative home?

Fixing the problems (or trying to) is the best possible solution — so that Israel will be a better place for our children, and the olim that follow us.

I would add that today, aliyah is not for everyone. If you are looking to come to Israel in order to make the gashmi, physical, day-to-day aspects of life better than they were in the US, then it isn’t for you. In all likelihood, you will not get a better job, salary or house here, gas will cost double, you will have to learn a whole new system, and lots of things just wont make sense.

However, if you would like the chance to perform many important mitzvot, and potentially improve all of the spiritual and religious aspects of your life to an exponential degree, then it might be very well be worth it. Like Jameel said above, it all has to do with your attitude. (And then once you are here, you can help to influence and fixall of the other things in society here that need fixing).

Supreme Court Approval Process to Change

2008-07-29T11:31:07Z

Well, it looks like my recent blog post on How Israel Can Become a Better Democracy is really making some waves. (Just kidding, but the coincidence is a bit strange). I just read that the selection process for Supreme Court judges was just changed to make it less subject to poltics. The selection committee is made up of the President of the Supreme Court and two other justices, the minister of justice and one other minister, to opposition members of Knesset and two representatives from the Israeli Bar association. It used to be that a simple majority (5 out of 9) would be needed to approve any judge (including the Supreme Court). Now 7 are needed, making the votes less susceptible to blok voting for political reasons. (Knowing that the Israeli Bar association and Supreme Court have traditionally tended towards the “Left” in politics, it is pretty easy to see how the old voting structure could lead to a perpetual flow of like-minded judges throughout the Israeli legal system). Definitely a step in the right direction.