Philip's posts with tag: return
So, How Diverse Is Israel? Posted: 15 Apr 2008 08:30 AM CDT (Hat Tip: IsRealli.org)  (Image Credit: IsRealli.org)In the US, Jews are often perceived to be mostly religious, Caucasian and wearing black hats with curls hanging from the side of their head. But when it comes to reality, Americans may find Israel to be a place of diversity that rivals (if not surpasses) New York City itself. (Haaretz.com) But there is a fairly significant paradox involved in defining the Jewish people as an ethnic group. The Zionist view of a people that includes all Jewish communities around the world (an outlook that merits trendy opposition from the left) is certainly one of the most multiethnic and multicultural national attitudes in history. When you see the Jews of Poland and the Jews of Yemen, the Jews of Germany and the Jews of Morocco as members of one people, and establish a country based on this national view, that is essentially a multiethnic and multicultural enterprise, whether or not the participants think in those terms. After being fortunate enough to visit the holy land years ago, the item that struck me most about the Jewish state was how diverse it was. While I did encounter Jewish citizens who wore both the hats and the curls, they were often a rarity, unless of course one was able to visit the Old City of Jerusalem. In Jerusalem I met Ethiopian Jews, European Jews, and yes, even Chinese Jews! This encounter helped break down my previous perception of Israel, as I noticed how friendly the people were, regardless of their national, religious and/or ethnic background. Hopefully more Americans will be able to visit Israel in the future, as it is a multicultural testament on how people from different backgrounds can live together in relative peace.
| Posted: 27 Sep 2007 07:32 PM CDT IsraGood
It looks as if Israel will (in the future) be ramping up their Aliyah campaign for Jews living in North America (which probably refers to Jews living in the United States and Canada, as I am not too sure what the Jewish society is like in Mexico).
A new study has recently come out highlighting that a Jew who commits Aliyah (or immigrates to Israel) may be worth up to $200,000 a piece! |  | | | (Globes Online) A study on the economic impact of immigration from North America found that the value to the Israeli economy of an immigrant from there was $200,000. This estimate is based on level of education, professional experience, participation in the labor force after immigrating, and financial assets. The study found that immigrants from North America had a 90% rate of participation in the labor force after one year in Israel.
This rate of participation is far greater than the participation rate of Israelis and of immigrants from many other areas. In addition, the average output of an immigrant from North America is $24,000 a year. Two-thirds bought a car within a year of arrival. Although there have been many reports of Jews making Aliyah from North America, this part of the word seems to be the hardest when it comes to marketing the promises of the holy land.
So my fellow Israeli (or pro-Israeli readers), how can Israel do a better job of convincing Jews from the US or Canada to cross the ocean and put their stake in American soil? | |
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