10 Reasons for Making Aliyah

The 2015 numbers are in from the Jewish Agency, and apparently, over 30,000 Jews made Aliyah (immigrated to Israel) in 2015. That’s a ten percent increase over 2014 and the highest level since 2003. Way to go, Israel! I’m always up for breaking records, so I think we should make 2016 even better than 2015. I’m doing my part by making this list of 18 reasons why you should make Aliyah:

1. Move Somewhere Warm
   The weather here is fantastic. You can find yourself at the beach at noon in January and, on average, enjoy 300 sunny days a year.
2. Don’t Hide Your Judaism
   People don’t hate you for being Jewish in Israel. They hate you for being annoying. You can wear a yarmulke on the highway. You do not have to wear a baseball hat all the time. Wearing a suit and a baseball hat kind of gives it away. In Israel, the only people wearing baseball hats are tourists from China.
3. Move as Far as Possible From Family
   I am not suggesting that this is the best reason for Aliyah, but you will see them a lot less. That’s just a fact. For many, that’s a big plus.
4. You Like Shopping in an Aggressive Atmosphere
   Nothing can take the place of somebody yelling the price at you. The only thing that can rival the passion of the souk salesman is a price tag. And even that, you do not see all the time.
5. Jewish Homeland
   In Israel, love is expressed through reprimanding. For the feeling of intimacy, you need the right people yelling at you. I cannot express the gratitude I have for all the random Israeli strangers who have yelled at me for reasons I do not know. I have not felt that kind of warmth since I stopped living at my parents’ house.
6. Torah
   You care about being a Jew and practicing your religion.
7. Land of Our Ancestors
   This is our one true home. Our ancestors fought for this land, and we are fighting for it now. We are not giving up on any option.
8. Fear & Anti-Semitism
   The world is in complete chaos, and most countries are not doing well, so get out of there before they start to blame it on the Jews. Many people from non-North American countries move to Israel because of fear. Does that mean that we are indebted to the anti-Semites of the world, who have helped more Jews in the Aliyah process than all of the Jewish Agencies and Nefesh BNefesh combined?
9. You Want to Find the Tree that the Jewish National Fund Planted for You
   The Jewish National Fund took money from me every Tu BiShvat holiday, from the time I was in kindergarten, and I never saw the tree with my name on it. I am on a mission to find it.
10. Love of Jewish People
    If you truly love Jewish people and want to complain about them, Israel is the best place to be.

**The content of this article is designed to provide the reader with general information and not to serve as legal or other professional advice for a particular transaction.