Sunday, July 18, 2004

Nefesh B'Nefesh, then and now

The articles on last week's batch of Nefesh B'Nefesh Olim just keep on coming and coming (Nefesh B'Nefesh must have one hell of a press office, by the way; there have been articles on this in every newspaper under the sun).
But where are the articles on last year's Nefesh B'Nefesh olim?  How have they settled in? Has the program's financial aid really made a difference?  After all the idealistic sentiments bandied about on arrival, have they come back down to earth? 
Someone please follow up!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

As an oleh chadash from last years Nefesh B'Nefesh flight, I can say that although the financial aid did help, the support and logistical assistance was equally valuable. People often like branding idealists as ideologues, who are somehow out of touch with reality and need to be "brought back down to earth". These people feel that because they lack the courage and clarity to follow their hearts, those who do are wackos or phonies. What is this "back down to earth" that she speaks of? That it is hard to make a lot of money here? That the lines are long and the bureaucracy is unforgiving? I find those a small price to pay for a truly meaningful life, in the land of my forefathers, with six million of my brothers and sisters here with me. Serving in the IDF and having the honor and merit of protecting Jews in our homeland after thousands of years of long, painful, and bloody exile. I am sure that my feelings will elicit a cynical laugh, but I am not offended. Rather, I pity those who live in a world without any real knowledge of G-d’s presence in it, or respect for those who will happily forgo a small level of material comfort for an infinite amount of spiritual fulfillment. My question to both those who remain in exile and even more to those who would voluntarily leave Israel, when will you open your eyes and "Come back up to Israel"?