Zionism in Action Togetherness Helps Aliya

Like the pioneers who trekked across the Alleghenies nearly 200 years ago, diaspora Jews interested in immigrating to Israel find it easier to travel in groups. It is also easier, apparently, to organize such groups with the definite purpose of aliya than to promote aliya by individuals, especially in the Western and Latin American countries.

That is the view of Naftali Bar-Giora, director of the World Zionist Organization’s immigration division. In a recent interview with the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Bar-Giora spoke enthusiastically of the successes achieved by the Aliya Movement, compared to aliya in general. The Aliya Movement is composed of voluntary organizations of diaspora Jews who get together for the purpose of immigrating to Israeli often to a specific destination in the country.

These groups are formed usually through the efforts of a single person, a member of the diaspora community, who sets a personal example of aliya to reinforce his message to those who are undecided. Unlike the regular aliya promotional activities, the Aliya Movement is based on local Jews “often outside the Jewish establishment” and not aliya emissaries sent from Israel Bar-Giora said.

He believes they are more effective. The difference between an aliya activist and an Israeli emissary is that the Israeli is always regarded as an outsider whereas the activist is a member of the community he deals with. He performs in his community on the Israeli army principle of “Follow me.” He emigrates and calls on the others to join him, Bar-Giora said.

SEMINARS FOR ALIYA ACTIVISTS

According to Bar-Giora, some 25 percent of the immigrants from Latin America came as members of an Aliya Movement and their numbers increase while regular aliya has been on the decline, he said. The WZO immigration division arranges seminars in Israel for aliya activists from abroad to increase their competence in dealing with their communities regarding aliya. In 1976, the seminars were attended by 1752 activists, all but 269 of them from France, Bar-Giora said, Most of the remainder came from the U.S. and Canada.

Bar-Giora noted with satisfaction that since 1971 when the Aliya Movement was founded, 11 groups have come to Israel and have been located throughout the country. Each group was sent, as a group, to its permanent settlement location. Each was assigned a special aliya official by the WZO which made their adjustment smoother, he said.

He credits the mixture of American and Soviet olim at the new port town of Yamit, south of Gaza, largely to the efforts of Haim and Sara Feifel, of Cincinnati, Ohio. In the late 1960a, the Feifels learned of the plan to build Yamit and Feifel, who was a cantor in a Conservative synagogue, decided he would like to live there.

He contacted others who were considering settling in Israel and when he formed a group of 22 families, he asked the WZO for assistance. At the time of Feifel’s application, a group of Soviet immigrants was preparing to settle in Yamit. The WZO introduced the two groups and a representative of the Soviet group was sent to the U.S. He contacted 40 families and, along with Feifel, promoted the idea of living in Yamit, Bar-Giora said.

Today Yamit is populated mainly by American and Russian Jews and a few Israelis. Feifel owns a small department store in the town and hopes to build its first hotel. American immigrants continue to arrive. “In fact, these days there is a campaign in the U.S. aimed at those who want to immigrate to Israel in Yamit B and Yamit C groups,” Bar-Giora said.