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New immigrant: I made aliyah due to Lebanon war
Sharon Roffe-Ofir
Published: 27.12.06, 23:20
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30 Talkbacks for this article
1. look, sagi, new friends!!
jewish mother ,   jerusalem   (12.27.06)
Sagi, all these Zionists would fit into your broad category of Haredi! What do you say , now? I don't think ONE of them is going to live in Ramat Aviv Gimmel.
2. Welcome message
Adam Adamati ,   Israel   (12.27.06)
Dear future Israelis, our long national nightmare continues. We have no Constitution. Our tiny state is a government of a few men and not a government of laws. Here only a few people rule. How nice for all of you that you have nbn watching over you... since most of you are religious, ashkenaz and are willing to further overpopulate Jerusalem, you qualify for their assistance. Coastal-dwelling seculars like me get no help at all and are prevented from seeking employment help. Grouch Marx said it best, "I don't care to belong to a club that accepts people like me as members."
3. Welcome Message
Neil ,   USA   (12.28.06)
Welcome to another bunch of wonderful Olim. Contrary to number 2, Adam who clearly has an axe to grind, there is a mix of Olim on this flight, right and left, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, religious and secular. Yes there are more religious Olim - the question is where is the problem - that lots of religious come or that not many secular do? Far from not wanting to be a member Adam, from your griping it sounds to me as though you would very much like to have recieved assistance from NBN.
4. mazel tov
Sheldon Rappaport ,   Tiberias Israel   (12.28.06)
mazel tov to all the new immigrants. I hope to G-d you all have either a good career or a fair amount of money behind you. As an ex-oleh, you might find your new home a little daunting! The shlachim outside the country never warned us about Isreali bureaucracy or strange bank - income tax laws, or how in the army it is a continual struggle to survive if you were taught and raised in a normal north american household. However, you as allof us will find your own niche within 6 months I am sure. Just do yourselves a favour! Put away the rose colored glasses and accept Israel for what she really is : a hard nut country but worth every second living here and breathing the air of a free man
5. #1 too bad secular ZIonism is dead
Sarit   (12.28.06)
I believe they refer to themselves tehse days as "post-Zionists" or "humanists"
6. olim
dana ,   ny   (12.28.06)
And how many yordim left?
7. leah, im looking for you in the pictures
leah ,   albany, ny   (12.28.06)
i wanted to say goodbye to you, but it was such a hectic week. it looks like the welcome you guys got was out of this world. enjoy and keep safe.
8. Welcome to Meirah
Yisraeli   (12.28.06)
whos is on that flight, may all your dreams come true.
9. Israel will steal more Palestinian land for more settlements
Rayan ,   USA   (12.28.06)
Israel announced today that it'll build a new jewish-only settlement on Palestinian land in West Bank. Gee, how come Palestinians refuse these Israeli peaceful moves?
10. #9
jason ,   usa   (12.28.06)
it matters how many more rockets and refuses the PA makes
11. #9 IT'S OUR LAND, STAY OUT & TAKE YOUR OTHER p'arabs OUT TOO
MOSHE ,   USA   (12.28.06)
12. to Adam Adamati, the pessimist:
(12.28.06)
FYI: it wasn't Groucho Marx, it was Woody Allen. and how does that quote have ANYTHING to do with your point? that is, if you even HAVE a point...?
13. to Moshe, #11: RIGHT ON, DUDE!
(12.28.06)
AM YISRAEL CHAI!
14. #11: Not so buddy, history & geography tell different story
R ,   USA   (12.28.06)
It only happened about 60 years ago, millions of people still remember and know who Palestine fell to Jewish terror & occupation.
15. I'm young, successful and I'll be making aliya next year
Joe ,   Mexico City, Mexico   (12.28.06)
I live in a "western" country, I'm 29 years old, have an MBA from LSU, I own a company, and I will make aliya next year. And my greatest honor will be to serve as a fighter in the IDF.
16. Congrats new olim! and 12:
Gil ,   Tel Aviv   (12.28.06)
It was definitely Groucho Marx not Woody Allen who said that.
17. WELCOME HOME!!!!
Rebab ,   Raanana   (12.28.06)
18. @2 ADMATI - What a hating ass
(12.28.06)
religious bother? ashkenazim bother? jerusalemites bother ? and you call yourself jewish ? LOL
19. Is this a PR piece
Yves ,   Haifa IL   (12.28.06)
Sharon Roffe-Ofir, your piece looks like you just reprinted the NBN press-release straight from the fax machine it arrive on. I think you could have done a much better article. This was really shallow propaganda - news-lite. How about ansking and answering a couple of more important questions: How many western immigrants really stay after 1 year or 5 years? Who are these people that are coming? What are the real reasons behind their decisions? Are they the misfits of their Jewish communities? Is it really Zionism or Escapism that brings them? How good is the support that they get, really? I know people who have just arrived from the UK and are absolutely miserable. Do these new Olim know about the culture shock waiting for them? The years of adjustment to some things, and the things here you can never get used to? In the West you enjoy a functioning democracy, do NBN tell the new Olim that Israeli democracy is broken and corrupt to the core? Chances are not. Not until they make the move and it's too late. Living in these conditions is very hard for everyone coming from the west and impossible for many who eventually return home with a sense of failure. The people who support NBN should really be looking at Israeli society's warts and focussing on fixing it for those who are already here. And Sharon, please give us some real meat in your stories.
20. Fass & Gelbart
Anonymous ,   Ramat Beit Shemesh   (12.28.06)
Modern Day Ezra and Nechemiah!
21. Good luck to the new olim....
(12.28.06)
Many surprises await you in Israel; some good and some not so good. Be strong!
22. #19
Andre ,   TLV   (12.28.06)
Yves, I did aliyah through the Jewish Agency. Sincerely, I'm glad i had the chance to long stay in Israel before... Jewish agency books tend to show a country that simply doesn't exist... BTW, in my opinion, despite the problems, the real Israel is much better than the one from the leaflets. Is a more diverse country than the "jewish homeland". Sadly some olim and a lot of sabras are still not ready for it... What I found interesting is the fact that this article is absolutely discriminatory. Wait a second... What the hell is "NBN recognized the potential in bringing Jews from welfare countries such as the United States, Canada, and England several years ago." It sounds like Russian Jews and South American Jews are not good enough to Israel...
23. We need a half million more like them!
Gerry Farkas ,   Efart   (12.28.06)
Mazal tov.
24. #19 (aka yves) is right!
Abdullah   (12.28.06)
Yves said: "The people who support NBN should really be looking at Israeli society's warts and focussing on fixing it for those who are already here. And Sharon, please give us some real meat in your stories." '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' The above statement is very true IMHO. More help needs to be given to those who already live in israel.
25. Zionisim is Alive and Kicking
israluv ,   jerusalem israel   (12.28.06)
I moved to Israel in the summer of 2004 and I consider myself a zionist ....a country for the jews run by jews in our holy land ..... zionism has not died ... but the definition for the word has changed in our society now a-days
26. To 220 New brain washed Friars, Ignorance is Bliss
Marcel ,   haifa   (12.28.06)
Wait a year or so for reality check to set in. Reality will replace bag o' beans you bought from nbn & and jewish agency. You'll learn the hard way about the meaning of discrimination, favoritism and protexia. You'll also see for yourselves the true meaning of government corruption
27. Hizbullah pushed it forward and Israel pushed it backwards
observer   (12.28.06)
for 220 immigrants making alyiah, there is 2200 who withdrew their alyiah, following the withdrawal example of Israel from the confrontation with Hezbullah.
28. #15.. and how much do you cost??!!!!
Lynne   (12.28.06)
29. Dont take a job for minimum wage
telavivit ,   telaviv   (01.01.07)
welcome, i hope you dont mind joining the long unemployment ques along with the "old" oleh hadashim, who have hebrew and cannot get a job-that is half decent. Please new olim stand together and dont take just any job. Please let these ceos stop taking advantage of olim and start paying them above minimum wage!!!!
30.  #28 now,now,Lynne, don't be spiteful
Cameron   (01.06.07)
#15 is just a man who takes his culture and religion seriously. Do You?
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