A few weeks ago my wife opened up our aliyah tik at the Jewish Agency.
The official job of the Jewish Agency is to help people immigrate to Israel (I say “people” and not “Jews” since they will help anyone who is allowed in under the law of return, including hundreds of thousands of non-Jewish Russians over the past 20 years) as well as to help further Jewish-Zionist education. That said, nowadays, it seems like the main aim of the Jewish Agency is to keep its employees employed, bringing as many people to Israeli (Jewish or not, Zionist or not) as they can, regardless of whether or not these people will help maintain the “Jewish/Zionist Identity” of the state. But I digress…
Regardless of whether or not they are doing a job, in order to make aliyah (and in order to get financial aid from NBN it is necessary to officially open a tik with the Jewish Agency.
Although it sounds like a big deal, it really isn’t. Basically, we are telling them that we plan on making aliyah, and we need to “prove” to them that we are Jewish (and therefore entitled to immigrate under the Law of Return). In our case, this proof was a letter from our LOR (Local Orthodox Rabbi) stating that we are Jewish. Make an appointment, fill out some forms, tell the representative that yes, you really are Jewish…a few hours later you have a tik (and a bunch of very ourdated pamphlets and information sheets relating to making aliyah).
Since I was working at the time that my wife went to the local JA office, I will need to make an appointment some time and go down to the office so that I can tell the rep that “yes, I am Jewish too”. I guess we had better start getting used to the bureaucracy.
March 6th, 2005 at 1:35
First B’hatzlacha! Once you get all your paperwork in you should get a lovely letter starting “Dear Oleh” in about 2-3 weeks along with all the paperwork (yes more of course) you need to do to get your Oleh visa. Personally, getting my letter felt like a big deal — it was a yes, YES! I really am doing this, kind of feeling.
I guess the question of “who is a Jew” is really a matter of opinion. I’m halachically Jewish and if I had lived in the Germany of my grandparents would have been a candidate for the ovens. But so too would my many friends who have Jewish fathers but not Jewish mothers. My feeling is that if you can be persecuted as and for being a Jew than you are one. And given the rising antisemitism we are seeing now in the Soviet Union, I say mazel tov on your aliyah to those who took the plunge.
March 16th, 2005 at 8:57
The question of “who is a Jew” is not really a matter of opinion. It is a matter of halacha. I sympathize with those who would have been killed in Germany for being Jewish, despite the fact that they were not. But when it comes to the question of who is a Jew, Hitler is not my posek. (And neither is Avraham Poraz).
Most of those coming from the Soviet Union right now are not Jews, and are not coming because they are persecuted for being Jews (or the grandchildren of Jews). They are coming because the get a free ticket to a country with a booming economy and lots of opportunity. They are not thinking about “making aliyah” and “taking the plunge” the same way the American Jews are. It is just not the same and is right now detrimental to Israel.
March 2nd, 2006 at 20:57
I trying to open my Tik and its proving to be quite an ordeal to prove my “Jewishness”.
My family was expelled from spain in 1663.
They were asked to either convert to Christianity or leave Spain.
They left and went to Jamaica.
They started a community on the Island and it grew for quite a while.
However, during the modern years the community dwindled due to intermarriage and emmigration.
My father is not Jewish but my mother is.
I was not raised in a Jewish home.
I now desire to make Aliyah but I’m having a difficult time because many of the important documents proving my ancestry were destroyed in a fire.
July 19th, 2006 at 20:25
Does family geneology dating from Germany WWII qualify one for aliyah? I have not records more recent because of Katrina flooding and destroying my home. I’ve since relocated.
July 19th, 2006 at 20:31
Matha – I think you will have to talk to the Jewish Agency and/or Israeli Consulate regarding that one. For what it is worth, all we had to do was bring a letter from our Rabbi saying that he knew we were Jewish (we didn’t need to document out ancestry or anything like that).
July 26th, 2006 at 20:09
THIS is such a blessing to find this here! I thank you for creating it. You see, I too am working with Aliyah in NYC and for the first time in my life (at age 51) I find that I have to prove that I am Jewish! It’s confusing and yet, interesting. I was not raised in a particularly Jewish home. My father was born in a very small town in New York state and didn’t even havea birth certificate until it was time for him to retire. His birth was registered in the small town but the building that housed such documents was destroyed in a fire many years ago. Never needing such a document, he never thought about it. My mother was born in NYC. Most of her early documentation has been destroyed by natural events. However, I received my Jewish up-bringing all through my early years and was a member of a local Youth Group in a small synagogue upstate NY. Records of those years are no longer in existence.
I suppose my question now is: How does one go to a present Rabbi in a congregation and ask for a letter “proving” one is Jewish? The very question perplexes me to no end. Historically, I heard stories of people (especially in Germany from whence my maternal family came) trying to “prove” there were NOT Jews. Now, today, it’s the opposite.
And yes, I can appreciate the post that mentions non-Jewish people coming to Israel from countries simply for the free ride. Still, this puts the rest of us in quite a predicament.
Any suggestions or input from anyone would put my spirit at ease.
July 26th, 2006 at 21:29
Yehuda -
From what I have heard, not only are they trying to avoid non-Jews coming to Israel for the free ride. They are also trying to stop Jews-for-J and other missionary types who come in posing as pious Jews yearning to return to the Holy Land.
For us it wasn’t such a big deal because we “looked the part”, and we belonged to a well-known orthodox shul in the area. The rabbi there wrote a note “certifying us”. If you belong to a shul, attend regularly, then do what we did: speak to, email or phone the rabbi, explaining the situation. If they have been in the business for more than a few months, than you are most likely not the first person who has come to them with this request.
Other than that – ask the shaliach from the Jewish Agency. In our experience, Tovah in Boston was very helpful and went out of her way to make things as easy for us as possible (there is only so much that can be done, since you are dealing with a paperwork beaurocracy on the other end).
Good luck!
July 27th, 2006 at 18:07
Yaakov, thank you so much for your reply. Yes, I can truly understand the “J4J” problem as this is too evident here in New York City. (I reserve my personal comments on the matter but will say that they are not positive.) I did approach a local synagogue yesterday and people in the office found the situation as interesting as I have. Imagine! Proving one is Jewish! What a concept.
Still, I must vent (if I may) in saying that I would seriously question anyone who actually WANTED to go to Israel at this particular time. Although I’m certain that there would be those who might wish to do so to undermine all things “Israel”.
Well, unfortunately, over the years, I became a bit too “secular” and will have to rekindle the connections from over the years. But this too is worth the effort considering the goal. If all else fails, my Shaliach also told me that if I should run into troubles, I should let her know and she will be there to help. They are a very wonderful and special kind of human.
Meanwhile, I try to locate old friends in Tel Aviv. This too presents complications these days. But, as I say, the ultimate result is truly worth the effort. One good friend told me, many years ago (a Sabra): Israel was promised to us, but never without some struggle. I keep this thought in my heart.