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.
August 26th, 2008 at 23:04
It would be interesting to take a survey of those olim who go to live and work amongst communities of other olim and those who go to live in an Israeli born community. How many olim really do integrate into Israeli society to become like a real Sabra? It could well be that the Yeridah rate in the 60s was due to these olim being thrown into a more Israeli environment, which was harder to handle, than the olim of today are being thrown into. Sure, the world is a smaller place today thanks to modern communications, cheaper flights, etc… and so aliya has been made somewhat easier to perpare for and not such the huge leap that it once was (though certainly does still remain a huge leap, and one that is a leap of faith too). But although it was hard to handle back in the 60s, it could still be just as hard now but due to olim not actually mixing in these Sabra circles the process has become easier. Hope that is clear.
Understandably, it is natural for minorities, in this case, olim, to mix with other olim and want to be in a community which comes from a similar background. But the question is, what really is ‘integration’? Its very easy to live in Israel these days and not speak any Hebrew, work in an English company, live in an Anglo community etc. Is this an integrated aliyah?
August 28th, 2008 at 0:15
“According to Nefesh B’Nefesh only 2% of the Anglo olim that the organization assists make yeridah.”
OK now, who’s going to start a program for Russian olim to make sure they don’t make yeridah? (For the Jewish ones at least)
“How many olim really do integrate into Israeli society to become like a real Sabra?”
Many, if they’re young enough.
August 28th, 2008 at 8:00
I don’t think that many do anymore, and that is not as big of an issue as it used to be. In order to totally integrate, the person will have to come while they are under 10 years old, and live in a community that is fully integrated (in other words, not Beit Shemesh, or similar anglo-centric communities where a kid can live their whole childhood and come out of it still not fluent in Hebrew). Twenty years ago, you had to integrate with Israeli society or you had to get out. There was no Internet, bad phone service, no support groups for olim. Swim or sink. Today, you can get by without every becoming a “real sabra”. And that’s just fine. It allows more people to live here, and increases the diversity of kibbutz galuyot.
Part of the reason why this is not as necessary is because the Russian olim do not have as much motivation to go back to the former Soviet Union, and there are over 1 million of them (so they can have their own communities within Israel - no forced sabra-ization). And their are organizations that exist (like Shvut Ami) that try to help the Jewish Russian oleh community.
August 28th, 2008 at 9:14
I never understood people who declare that your aliyah is only a success if you fully integrate into Israeli society. What immigrants do that?? That’s a task for subsequent generations. My European immigrant grandparents were nowhere near as Americanized as my parents. Does that mean that they failed as immigrants? Of course not.
I have always said that moving to Israel is hard enough as it is. There is no need to expect or demand that olim become identical to native Israelis. We chose a heavily anglo community exactly because just living in Israel is a big enough change. I want friends who speak the language with which I am most comfortable and friends who understand my cultural references. Besides, I happen to think that, just as there were improvements in the workplace when women entered it in large numbers, Americans can actually improve Israel by bringing to Israel some of the things that really do work better here (like customer service and orderly lines :-)
For those that want to immerse themselves in a completely Israeli community - gay gezunta hait. But don’t impose that standard on everyone.
August 28th, 2008 at 9:23
@ Rivkah - I don’t think that the article (or I) said that aliyah is only a success if you fully integrate into Israeli society. As I commented above, I think that this was true a couple of decades ago. However, nowadays, as you point out, one can be quite successful and happy in as an immigrant in Israel while still being more connected to the Anglo community than the Israeli community at large. I do believe though that if one feels comfortable “integrating” to a higher degree, then this should be pursued (and it is hard to “improve Israel” if one has very little contact with Israelis).
August 29th, 2008 at 0:51
Yaakov,
Sorry if I wasn’t clear. We agree. I thought you were much more even-handed than most. I was referring to others who are militant about their opinion that one’s aliyah to Beit Shemesh (for example) is somehow deficient and that the only true aliyah is when you learn to speak fluent Hebrew and live among Israelis.
August 31st, 2008 at 2:03
I’d like to know what percentage of anglo Olim that do NOT make aliyah through Nefesh B’Nefesh make yeridah. Of course Nefesh B’Nefesh is going to have a low yeridah rate: they make aliyah much easier, and they will take back the money they gave you if you make yeridah. It’s not really a fair assessment of how successful aliyah is, if you’re only counting people that come through Nefesh B’Nefesh.
August 31st, 2008 at 15:08
@Netanya - I have no idea the percentage of North American non-NBN olim that make yeridah. I would assume that it is a higher percent than the NBN figure, but a lower percentage than it was a decade ago. Olim who do not come through NBN still benefit both directly and indirectly from many of the different programs designed to help the English speaking immigrant in Israel.
And BTW, not everyone who comes with NBN gets money, and those who receive money get it as a grant that vests after three years. A NBNer who received money and moved back to the US would only owe the money back if they did so within the first three years.