National Aliya Council Confab Paves Way for Deeper Community Involvement

The first meeting of the National Aliya Council last Sunday paved the way for deeper involvement on the part of the American Jewish community towards aliya. The all-day conference, which was attended by leaders of major Jewish organizations and regional aliya councils throughout the country discussed a program for promoting and increasing aliya.

The functions and activities of the National Aliya Council, which traces its roots to last March’s inaugural planning conference, were explored and defined during the course of the meeting. Speakers, informal discussions and working sessions emphasized that the NAC’s goals are to create a favorable climate for aliya, and encourage and promote aliya in the Jewish community; strengthen and lend a hand to Israel Aliya Center representatives; ease the way for American Jews settling in Israel; and develop and create new programs to carry out these aims.

Other objectives were the improving of services to olim in the Israel Aliya Center offices; reaching out to the Jewish student community on college campuses; and concentrating and encouraging group aliya.

PRACTICAL ANSWERS NEEDED

Charlotte Jacobson, chairman of the World Zionist Organization-American Section and chairman of the NAC, emphasized throughout the conference that the responsibility for helping Americans settle in Israel rests with the U.S. Jewish community. One important element which emerged from the conference was the realization that Americans needed assistance on a practical level “It is not only important to promote and instill aliya in the American Jewish community.” Mrs. Jacobson said, “we must add to the idealism by finding answers to practical problems.”

Shimon Peres, Israel’s Defense Minister, declared that “there is nothing more important for Israel and the Jewish people than aliya.” He compared the problems of American aliya with those of other national groups throughout the history of Jewish settlement. He said that each group faced similar problems but overcame them and contributed tremendously to Israeli society.

A significant outcome of the conference was the establishment of five committees which would begin to act upon the central issues raised during the day.

ACTIVITIES OF COMMITTEES OUTLINED

For the purpose of promotion and encouragement of aliya within the Jewish community three committees were established: the Community Relations Committee would establish close ties between the Israel Aliya Center and Jewish organizations; the Youth Committee would create a special task force to enable Israel aliya representatives to reach out to a wider group of organized and unorganized youth on the college campus; and the Education Committee would introduce aliya into the school syllabus and encourage education programs among school-aged children.

Regarding the subject of employment, one of the five committees formed during the working session, which was attended by 60 delegates was the Committee for Enhancement of Business and Industry. This committee, comprised of Jewish leaders and businessmen in the U.S., is planning to work out ways to create new businesses and industries in Israel which would enable American immigrants to obtain jobs, while at the same time strengthen the Israeli economy.

Members of the NAC expressed the need to learn first-hand about the day-to-day problems Americans encounter in Israel, so that they can offer concrete suggestions on ways to improve them. To this end, a Missions Committee was formed where NAC members would visit Israel and get to meet with American olim, take tours to absorption centers, housing developments, settlement sites as well as learn more about the process of immigration and absorption.

The five committees which were formed have all planned to hold individual meetings within the next two weeks to begin implementing the ideas which were discussed during the conference Regional councils have already been established in Detroit, Miami, Philadelphia, Cleveland and Toronto.