This is an encouraging figure. However the fact is that large waves of aliyah come only from places where Jews are under distress and have little or no choice but to come to Israel.

One could say that in the Sephardi culture, realism wins out over idealism. For example, the idea and the practice of martyrdom are quite alien to Sephardi Jews. In matters of life and death, with situations of persecution and forced conversion imposed by non-Jews upon them, Sephardi Jews have frequently opted to convert and save life in order to somehow return to their faith in later times. Are those who made aliyah Sephardim fleeing the economic crisis?

Employment, baby! When jobs are scarce, the grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence. Besides, with that dual nationality, they can always scoot right back over the water if they find they don't dig on Israel, or when the economic picture improves at a later point in the States.

go into trying to get people from USA/Canada to Israel. I really wish these people luck in trying to live in Israel. The land is G-d's land, the people over there are something else. I dont know..I debate with myself all the time whether to take the plunge, afterall I am at the stage of life where I dont give a damn and I dont have to work for a living. . I've done my part and am cruising to the finish line. I really do love Israel, its the Israelis who make me puke.

The last thing we need here is a guy who says "that he loves Israel but hates the Israelis". By the way this June it will be 43 years since the Golan was returned to Israel. Even if you are right and we will be kicked out within 5 years I still will not return to Ottawa(where I grew up in) but instead would move to the Galilee. Since I am licensed as a Doctor in both Ontario and Quebec Canada and I practiced 15 years in Ottawa your comments about me not being a "real doctor" are ridiculous!

The Golan will be given up..you'll be homeless. The Galil has an arab majority. The negev is being run over by blacks from Africa. I quess you'll be back in Ottawa attending to all the ex politicos, public servants and all the other do nothings who are suffering from hemorroids after having sat on their asses their entire lives. .YOu'd be with your friends. On second thought , I'd suggest you get into colonoscopy, seeing that would be right up your alley.

And I would rather treat my fellow Jews' health problems than my mostly non -Jewish patients in Ottawa. I could easily do like you and stay in Canada and critisize Israel. In Canada I had a big house,sports car, cottage and fishing boat. Yet in Israel my two children are growing up Jewish unlike my brother's children in Ottawa who just celebrated Christmas. Whats wrong with you? If you truly love Israel then you should be happy that a fellow Canadian Jew gave up his comfortable life in Canada, made aliya, married a Jewish woman and is now raising two small children here. If more Western Jews made aliya ,instead of staying in the diaspora like you, then we would not be a minority in the Galilee. You should be sending emails to Ynet encouraging my success here instead of hoping for my failure. If you truly love Israel then its time for you change your tone and stop acting like some old "cucker" stuck in his ways.

"I really do love Israel, it's the Israelis who make me puke." Don't worry Al. I'm sure the feeling is mutual.

If you consider the fact that it was hard enough to get Jews to leave their homes in Europe in the 1940's or to get Jews to leave their homes in Iran when Ayatollah Khomeini came to power, do you really think you're going to get American Jews to pack up and leave this country just because their stock portfolios are suffering?

Only Africans and others from third world countries are dying to live here. The world's Jews on the other hand are another story. The religious ones are waiting for Messiah to come and the secular ones prefer their children and grandchildren to marry non-Jews....anything but make aliyah. Even those that do come are just a drop in the bucket. Six million Jews in the US and they can barely get 4000 to come, and this with all kinds of financial aid. A lot of them will return to the Galut sooner or later. What a big tragedy. The truth is that MOST JEWS LOVE THE GALUT MORE THAN THEY LOVE ISRAEL.

dont worry he say he take

What percanteage of the new Olim is orthodox?