Your dream lifestyle andinaJewishsetting
NCE, T HOSE who wanted to go to live in Israel would be faced with a fairly stark c h o i c e . T o s e t t l e t her e mea n t t h a t they could connect with their Jewishness and play their part in the development of the State of Israel. But on the other hand, there was an almost inevitable drop in living standards. However, according to Oded Feuer, the director of Habayta — the World Zionist Organisation agency dedicated to promoting life in Israel — this is no longer the case.
He says: “There are lots of people who who love Israel and who would like to make their lives there. They will come to me and say: ‘I’d like to make aliyah; I believe it’s the place to raise my kids but I also want to have a good standard of living and not give up the comforts of life.’ Well the great thing is you don’t have to make that choice any more. We want to show people that there is a chance to build the life they want as well as a Jewish life. You are not giving up on the opportunity to make a good living. You can do well and also be part of this great project in the State of Israel which will give an extra meaning to your life.”
Mr Feuer adds that it is Habayta’s mission to win hearts and minds but also to provide a good flow of information and education; to give the facts about what Israel has to offer and what people can expect to achieve.
He accepts that language can be an obstacle, so there is a drive to improve the provision of top-class Hebrew teaching, in partnership with the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.There are lectures and seminars delivered in synagogues and youth centres by people who have achieved their dream of aliyah and who want to impart some of the lessons they have learned to those who live in their former communities. And there is now a wealth of information for people who are investigating the possibilities of life in Israel.
Mr Feuer says: “We want to provide a spark, perhaps show people who might not have thought of Israel before that there are opportunities out there. And with pilot trips people can see with their own eyes what is happening. The information we are giving out is a promotion tool in itself.”
Of course there are factors in the outside world that have a profound effect on the aliyah process. For example, the recent Gaza war might have put people off going to Israel. Yet, conversely, the surge of antisemitism it provoked around the world has had the opposite effect. For Mr Feuer, however, this does not engender a change of approach. “When you live according to principle, timing is not the most important thing. Events happen but they should not set your agenda. Having said that, we cannot close our eyes to the fact that in France, there has been antisemitism and a slow economy which has led to a surge in aliyah. The same has happened in Brazil. We need to have the right answers for that. In Israel itself things are sometimes more rosy, sometimes less — that’s life. However the month of the Gaza operation was one of the busiest for aliyah and not a single new immigrant cancelled their tickets because of what was happening.”
Mr Feuer feels his core work happens within communities. “You have to be aware of where you are and who you are working with. Someone living in Borehamwood or Hendon has different challenges to someone living in Glasgow or Manchester. The thing for us is to understand the different communities and not be seen as outsiders. That’s why events like A Taste of Israel are so important to us.”
He adds that bringing people back to their former communities to chat and inform is one of the agency’s most effective strategies. And one of the best ambassadors for life as an oleh is Israel’s actual ambassador, Daniel Taub, who left Britain to make a new life in Israel after university. “Daniel is the poster boy for aliyah — a young boy who made it in israel and came back to his own community to represent the State of Israel. That, more than anything else, shows exactly what people can achieve when they choose to make aliyah.”