Rachel & Simcha, you did the right thing. Absolutely. I came from one of the wealthy European countries with good profession and status there. I also heard all those comments, but that never disturbed me. After 25 years in Israel, I have never regretted my decision. For those Americans and Canadians (Jewish or not) talking about the lack of loyalty of the Jews. You have a lot of "loyalists" coming over from Arab countries, Africa and Far-East to replace the Jews. The will certainly be loyal to your values. Enjoy!

You will have a difficult time in Israel at first; everyone does (whether you come w/ money or not) Just make sure you both learn good hebrew and actually use it. You need to know what's going on; if not you'll feel like strangers in your own country. Good Luck!!!!

The one and only place a Jew can be a Jew without explaining anything is Israel ................is that so? We have spent the best part of half a century explaining, and reasoning and fighting and losing sons and daughters in the name of our country. They'll learn fast enough. I wish them luck anyway.

I suggest that Rachel and Simcha learn good Hebrew fast or they will be strangers in their country (Israel)forever and Israelis will always treat you differently if you don't know the language properly. So o.k. they did'nt serve in the army or grow up here; but they'll really be consider outsiders if they don't know Hebrew. Take it from me, I should know.

Rysk, we came with NbN this past summer. To a nearby town to Tel Aviv. My scientist husband works at the local world-class scientific institution trying to better the world, and my children are attending the public schools. We're not trying this out ... we're staying. b'H And yeah, we're Orthodox. What's it to you?

that my Zionism is strictly secular. Entirely secular. Despite my Orthodoxy. And who says the two can't coexist?

Oh I wouldn't worry too much about Rachel and Simcha. They actually do not have to stress about not knowing Hebrew, because it is more than likely that they will settle in one of the more affluent neighborhoods of Ra'anana, Kfar Shmeriyahu, Jerusalem or Tel Aviv. I have my doubts that they will have to live in places like Petach Tikvah, Or Yehuda, Dimona, or Sderot. So they will do just fine in English, and eventually can speak the new national language - Hebrew with entire phrases in English, like any "educated" Israel (Dee sky eez dee limit - oh, that one kills me!) Yup, they will be just fine. (Oh god, but they know nothing!!!) Still, they seem so sweet, sincere, and willing to make the Jewish homeland their home now. Money is not important (!!!!) Just living here as Jews, with all our wonderful Jewish brothers (!!!) Just a few words of advice and caution: Make sure you have money in the bank left in the States, just like most Israelis nowadays, and do not burn all your bridges. Life in Israel is not easy, even if armed with a huge dose of perky idealism and Zionism. Reality does kick in after a while you know... Oh heck, who cares, we have enough to worry about here anyway.

That's entirely incorrect. NbN gave us no money, zero money, none, when we came. And they have nothing to do with our children's education and offered us nothing ... except the phone numbers of the local schools in our intended neighborhood of residence. Which was not Jerusalem. The stereotype that all American olim come loaded with bucks and that they just get more thrown at them by NbN is making our decidedly-less-than-middle-class aliyah difficult, as well. And your rant just perpetuates it. Thanks a lot (sarcasm intended). But we're *still* staying. Okay, I'm done now.

Have you been to the airport recently? From NY to London toMoscow,the best and brightest of our young people are achieving successs because we live in a closed society where compitence andachievement mean little.

I am surprised by all the jadedness and cynicism of the responders here. I have been living in Jerusalem for 3 years now and don't regret it for a second. I love being a 'foreigner' in this beautiful land and I love everything that comes with it. I know Simcha and Rachel personally and have no doubt that they will live their 'starry-eyed dreams' to the fullest and be very succesful. Welcome Home..!!

Of course Simcha and Rachel will live their dreams to the fullest - they have money, family connections, and are idealists. And, if the going gets too rough, they can always run back to America. Would you love your life here so much if you lived in a low-income neighborhood, in crowded and often dirty conditions, etc.? My guess is that you live in a nice part of Jerusalem, and have your clique of English speaking buddies. If you are religious, that would certainly explain any enchantment you find with Israeli life, because Ha'shem takes care of everything. These starry-eyed Jews get credit for being "brave" enough to leave their cushy jobs and life style in the USA to come here, but again - money is no problem for them. Like it or not, the economy here sucks for most of us. I have lived here for most of my life, made Aliyah with my entire family from the US in 1970, leaving behind family, a huge house, a good education in private schools, and a hoard of rich Jewish friends who thought we were crazy, to come live here. This was when there were no fancy shmancy organizations to help us. We did it on our own, got no handouts whatsoever (not even from the "Sachnut"), and no one wrote about it in the paper, you can be sure. No one applauded my parents for being zany Zionists. I felt like a foreigner here for years, but worked hard to overcome my "Americanisms" in order to acclimate into Israeli society. Your insinuation that I and others here are "jaded" is somewhat ridiculous. I have lived here far longer than you, have done my IDF service, raised two Israeli born children, have worked here, and lived here, as an Israeli, and not as some Anglo Saxon "protected" Israeli civilian, with others just waiting to welcome me with open arms. So, I speak as an Israeli. A daughter of two dreamers who passed away before they could witness the degration of Israeli society, and the corruption. You are a dreamer, I am a realist. Come on out of your protected Jerusalem bubble and take a little road trip to Sderot, Dimona, Or Yehuda, Azor, Kiryat Malachi, Kiryat Gat, or south Tel Aviv. Mingle with some taxi drivers in Petach Tikvah, schmooze a bit with the Russian olim who clean offices 12 hours a day for peanuts. I probably love Israel just as much as you do, but I do not find life here as enchanting as you do. Sorry to burst your bubble.

40, you call those who wish to deal with reality and solve Israel's problems, jaded. It is people like you who always wish to be the good soul( if you are religous as I am, you are a self described "Tzadik"), who are never part of the solution. I hope to build and persevere here with folks like 41 who love Israel, but know that we have a loit of work a head of us. Hang in there 41, better days are ahead

Wow! Israel really needs more people like these. Wealthy young yuppies who will certainly enrich the country. She's going into real estate and he's going to be a personal trainer and do magic...for Jews...in Israel! I hope the Jewish Agency and organizations like Nefesh B'Nefesh do all they can to bring more of these types of North American Jews to Israel, truly the Zionist dream is being realized at long last!

I am in complete agreement with nos. 15 and 23. Alot of money is being poured into bring religous Western olim to settle in already over-populated areas. Jerusalem for example is becoming an environmental catastrophe with massive air pollution from vehicles and the destruction of the surrounding areas to create new housing. Why isn't money being chanelled to help native-born Israelis and those who already made aliyah and are in need of assistance just to get by. Encouraging more upper-middle class Westerners to make aliyah is not the solution to the social problems Israel faces but it does keep the Jewish Agency and organizations like Nefesh B'Nefesh alfoat.

Noded here summed it up perfectly: Everyone is so excited and enthusiastic about these upper middle-class Westerners. For some reason, they seem to think that more of these Jews coming here is going to make Israel a better place to live. Perhaps it will make Israel a better place to live for the Anglo community, and after all, what a mitzvah! And meanwhile, as Noded pointed out, instead of giving money where it is sorely needed (ever hear of Sderot, Americans???), it is being to used to pamper and cater to the already well-off American Jews. A whole lot of noise about " שטויות" - (foolishness, or crap!) and that might be the first Hebrew word that these Jews should learn in Ulpan.

Congratulation to all the new olim. I posted pictures of their arrival today at: http://www.jr.co.il/pictures/israel/history/a75.htm Have a great day, Jacob

Oh please! Israel for one thing is already seriously over-populated, the county's meager resources, especially water and land can barely support the current population. Israel does not need more real estate agents and personal trainers but needs to concentrate on conservation and presevation of its limited natural resources and to deal with the current social inequity that has plauged the country for the past couple of decades. As an Israeli citizen I do not want to see my country turned into a "Jewish Disneyland" for starry-eyed Westerners seeking to fufill some naive idea they have about living in the Jewish Homeland. Personally, and I know many other Israelis agree, immigration should be stricly limited as the country can barely support the current population.

Elliot: Only a "cock-eyed optimist" such as yourself takes a realistic opinion based on fact, and chooses to interpret it as "negativity". Your fantasy is so far from reality that it is laughable. We already rebuilt the Jewish state. Our country is highly advanced in all areas of technology. Our businesses are all global enterprises. What kind of contribution do these immigrants bring? Are they bringing some secret plan with them to solve the water crisis? Or maybe a peace plan? Please stop putting them on some pedestal. They are coming here for personal reasons only. It has to do with religion, not state. You make them sound like some kind of martyrs, giving up their lifestyle, etc., There is nothing that western immigrants can enlighten us with anymore, sorry. We have it all, and not because ex-westerners like others and myself settled here. It is because Israelis are basically a very intelligent people, and like any intelligent people, have progressed, developed, and done amazing things. You make us sound like a bunch of morons who need the great western knowledge to be enlightened. Middle Eastern culture goes back just a teensy bit more than western. Noded: I think your words will not have much affect on these people. They seem to live in a non-reality of "rebuilding the homeland", when, in fact as you stated, the problems of overpopulation and meager natural resources should be the first things on our "agenda" here in Israel. Another thing I do not comprehend is how they get this strange idea that we need more western immigrants to contribute to our economy, or professional business attitude? As far as I know, Israelis are highly professional, have a much higher level of technical knowledge than most Americans, and have a vast knowledge of international business. Are these people by any chance under the impression that we living here are still stuck in the 60's? As for these people moving on out to under-populated areas of the country - oh give me a break! Not much to do there for real estate agents or professional trainers. That being said, anyone is welcome to come live here. Even you, Elliot.

Hey Jewish Agency, Do you know what is is to help out Israel's poorer Olim? Hey NBN, Don't see many blue collar or average Jews flying with you, Why Not? What a shameful operation.

I know of one NBN participant on his way back. They were not prepared for the real Israel. The best system is to hook them up with veteran Olim who will give them support and let them know that they are not the first to face certain crises.

Lots of myths about Israel in these comments. Like the US, the Israeli economy is very diverse with some doing very well and others struggling. There is a very large and prosperous middle class, particularly in technology related business where salaries are very competitive with the US. The middle class in Israel is huge and life is very comparable with the US. The days when moving to Israel necessarily meant a substantial drop in living standards are long gone. Of course not everyone will be able to maintain the same standard but on average this is exactly what will happen.