Time to Consider 'Virtual Aliyah'

Jewish Week, The, May, 2000 by Ben-David, Lenny

Ben-David, Lenny The Jewish Week 05-19-2000 Time to Consider `Virtual Aliyah' LENNY BEN-DAVID Lenny Ben-David is deputy chief of mission at the Embassy of Israel. Nearing completion of my three-year diplomatic posting in the U.S., I have come to the conclusion that the annual aliyah rates from North America will never be substantial or increase significantly.

(North American olim averaged fewer than 1,800 per year over the last decade. By contrast, the number of olim from the former Soviet Union averaged about 75,000.) The lives of American Jews are just too good, too comfortable, and too satisfying for them to consider relocating to Israel. Ancient Babylon, where great and wealthy Jewish centers overshadowed the poor communities in Eretz Yisrael for...

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