David Terlove and his family appear in a photo in The
Times (of London) packing their suitcases at their
apartment in Golders Green, the Jewish neighborhood in North
London. "We are not as excited over the prospects of joining
our children as we are over returning to Israel, our
spiritual homeland," said Terlove, shortly before making
aliyah.
The (non-Jewish) British are shocked that residents of
London's chareidi areas are starting to move to Israel. From
old-timers in Golders Green to young people from Hendon, Jews
are leaving their homes, their jobs and their friends and
moving to Israel, the very same Israel that the BBC portrays
in dark images as an occupier and oppressor surrounded by
enemies plotting against it.
The number of immigrants is still small, but it is growing.
They can no longer be described as scattered individuals
leaving anonymously. On December 27, 40 Jews boarded a plane
bringing them to a new life. "They left 2006 in London and
entered the Jewish calendar year of 5767 in Israel," wrote
The Times in a special report. "The emigration of
British Jews goes against the general decline in the number
of emigrants from other places. British Jews are going
against the world trend."
That statement is not fully accurate since it does not reckon
with the fact that the Nefesh beNefesh organization has
become active in Britain recently, as it previously was in
North America. Immigration to Israel has increased
significantly since Nefesh beNefesh began its work.
Last year immigration from Great Britain was up 45 percent!
Earlier in 2006 a group of 200 immigrants arrived on a
special flight, bringing the number of immigrants for the
year to 700. In 2005 there were 481 immigrants, less than one-
third of the aliyah from France and only a small fraction of
Great Britain's 270,000 Jews. But on the streets of the
Jewish neighborhoods, the rise is being referred to as a
trend. Based on conversations with British Jews, many more
are planning to come on aliyah. The declining Western culture
no longer appeals to them. Violence is pervasive in British
schools. In poor neighborhoods youth gangs shoot with live
ammunition. Islamic and pro-Palestinian groups disseminate
hatred.
The press describes aliyah from a very different perspective
than Jewish Agency propaganda, attributing it to the
demographic gap between Jews and Arabs. Jewish Agency
representative Michael Yankelowitz confirmed to the press
that the Jewish Agency "is focusing on aliya from the free
world. British Jews maintain a strong Jewish identity."
Reporters are unable to grasp that these immigrants are
searching for something other than the day-to-day life that
is depicted in the media. Thousands of immigrants try to make
their way to London from all corners of the globe, whereas
the Jews are leaving behind jobs, homes and comfortable lives
for the unknown. To media observers it appears absurd. In
Israel, as well, many fail to understand the religious
immigrants from the West. The Israeli left describes them as
dreamers and accuses them of fanaticism.
