Page 18 - HaMizrachi Sukkot 5784 North America

lone soldiers from the Diaspora in my unit. It still moves me to
tears when I think about their remarkable commitment to Israel
and the Jewish people. We introduced a program to pair up lone
soldiers with an Israeli home to host them for the chagim. For
the soldiers, it means they don’t have to spend the holiday on
their own, and for the families it allows them to meet an oleh
who has chosen to leave their home country to move to Israel
and to fight to defend it.
We also try to highlight how olim are helping Israel face some of
its strategic challenges. Aliyah is a value in and of itself, but we
also want to celebrate the ways olim assist Israel. When 1,000
doctors and medical professionals make Aliyah, this has a huge
impact. We also have programs together with Nefesh B’Nefesh
and other government ministries to support olim who are moving
to the Negev and the Galil.
As someone who is from the Religious Zionist community, I think
there is much that our community in Israel can do or has room to
improve on. Of the seventy plus Hesder Yeshivot, there are maybe
5 or 6 that have students from overseas. I know that not every
yeshiva is right for Diaspora students, but I believe there should
be more programs for Jews from around the world. Religious
Zionist youth groups get involved in all sorts of social causes,
from chessed to settling the land and more, but how many are
involved in helping olim integrate?

What are the new programs you are currently working on?
We are focusing a lot of effort on helping young people and
students make Aliyah. It is easier on many levels for people to
move when they are not yet married with families, and they can
integrate more easily into society through the army or through
their studies and starting their career here. We support free
university studies for olim in different languages – English at Bar-
Ilan University, Russian at Ariel University and now in French at
Ben-Gurion University. These are very significant programs that
we want to expand.
We are also working on increasing the amount of rental support
we give to families who make Aliyah, as well as expanding the Top to bottom: Minister Sofer, together with Rabbi Yehoshua Fass of Nefesh B’Nefesh,
range of options for ulpan. The Aliyah and absorption process visiting Katz Hillel day school in Boca Raton, FL; With Malcolm Hoenlein, Vice Chair
really has many elements to it, and we hope to be there for olim of the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations; With Jacob Solomon,
every step of the way! ◼ President of Jewish Federation of Miami; Minister Sofer marching at the Israel Day
Parade in New York.

18 |