Moving to Israel

As we approach Yom Kippur, the holy day of the Jewish year when we all hope to be written in for a successful year by Hashem, the talk of the Jewish world has been Binyamin Netanyahu’s (some would say “historic”) speech given in the UN on Thursday. For the most part, it has been accepted with a rare wall-to-wall praise both in Israel and abroad.

With a few exceptions, most noted the persuasiveness of the speech and how it will linger long in the minds of the international community who saw Netanyahu powerfully display the photograph of him with the plans for Auschwitz and took criticism for encouraging Israel to leave Gaza, and then condemning Israel in the Goldstone Report when it responded to the rocket attacks that resulted.

As we move towards the holiest time of the year for Jews, let’s hope the prime minister will keep up his strong and effective defense of Israel and hope that, with G-d’s help, our tiny country will prosper and thrive in the year ahead.

Ari

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will recommend to the Board of Trustees of the Jewish Agency that Nathan Sharansky be appointed to head the agency in place of Zev Bielski, who recently resigned and was elected a Kadima Knesset Member.

This is important news for people considering making the move to Israel as the Jewish Agency, which was established in 1923 and served as a quasi-government of the Jewish population in Israel until independence was declared in 1948, has spent the past sixty plus years has focusing on bringing Olim (Jewish immigrants) to Israel.

Sharansky was a symbol of the struggle of Jews to make Aliyah (immigrate to Israel) from the Soviet Union and spent nine years in jail and in labor camps. Since being freed and coming to Israel in 1986, he has been extremely active in the political landscape of Israel, serving in the Knesset and taking various stands against the the planned withdrawal from Gaza and the uprooting of the Jewish communities there.

For those thinking of making the dramatic move of uprooting their lives and starting anew in Israel, it would be encouraging to see someone of such honor be appointed to this crucial post and help with the process of seeing other Jews making the final trip home.

Ari

I just received a very important email from Michal Moreno who works for the Israeli government on a very special project for the LIBI fund. The LIBI fund’s  - the fund for strengthening Israel’s defense - current project is about raising support (and funds) for Israeli troops in GAZA.

For this cause, LIBI has produced a video which can be viewed here. I was asked by Michal to post the video and, upon viewing it, agreed immediately. Please give it a watch, forward it to everyone you know and consider giving to this very important cause. The IDF and the Jewish people need all the help we can get.

Thanks for the support and for spreading the word.

 Ari

As the news seems to endlessly report on the terrible situation in Gaza, I was pleased to see a small piece of good news for Israel to make just a little reminder of how, despite the barrage of attacks launched on Israel by its Middle East “neighbors,” she continues to be a thriving and innovative country that continunes to produce as the situation around her seems to get worse.

The piece is about awards for made in Israel products that the Israel Manufacturers Association will provide to honor three companies which use and produce Made in Israel products. Again, it should give us all pride and inspiration that, despite being bombarded by hostile regimes across the region, Israel continues to innovate and contribute to the improvement of society while her enemies continue to just focus on her destruction.

Ari