| "OUR ALIYAH HELPS DEFEAT THE ENEMY" by Jewish Agency for Israel |
| As of September 2002, 1,680 new immigrants arrived from North America - compared to 1,312 during the same period in 2001. What are the driving forces behind the decision to make aliyah at this critical juncture? Here are some stories of three students: Jenna Ferer, a photo, print, and radio journalist from Santa Barbara, California, employed by the Media Line in Jerusalem: "I came to Israel because I was frustrated with the anti-Israel media bias at my university, especially among people who had never even been to Israel. I also wanted to come to live in Israel during this difficult situation to stand in solidarity with the people of Israel, but also to refute people who make statements about Israel without ever stepping foot on its soil. I initially came to Israel to do an internship with an eye on aliyah. After being here for only a short time I knew I wanted to make aliyah. The biggest drive to be here is that I am so acutely aware of my Jewish heritage, and the fact that so many people died for Israel's existence. I believe that I owe them a debt of gratitude and I want to ensure that the future generations of the Jewish people have a safe haven. I am not at all afraid of being here. My advice to Americans thinking about making aliyah is: Just do it! Every day is an adventure; I feel incredible pride every day I am here." Ronen Khordipour from Great Neck, NY, a student, working as an analyst at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs: "I decided to come to Israel because I love Israel. I don't take for granted the fact that after 2,000 years in exile the Jews finally have a place they can call home, and I want to be part of that experience. Now is the easiest time in my life for me to make aliyah: I have no job, no wife, no children - no responsibilities. I am not rooted in American society. I came specifically now because terror is a psychological war by definition; to defeat terror you must do the opposite of what they want in order to win. Coming to Israel helps defeat our enemies whose actions have driven people from this land." Sarah Brown from Sharon, Massachusetts, a student, employed by the Jewish National Fund: "I decided to visit Israel because it was hard for me to listen to all the media reports coming out of the region. I wanted to know if the hype was true or if it was exaggerated. I wanted to see for myself if Israel was as dangerous as people make it out to be. I also needed a change in my life and now seemed as good a time as any. Deep down inside I knew that the reason I was coming to Israel in the first place was to make aliyah. Once I got here it just felt so natural; I felt like it was the right decision." |
| Jewish Agency for Israel http://www.jafi.org.il |