4 Terrible Reasons To Move To Israel (Make Aliyah) — And One Really Good One
Ahead of Aliyah Day, some strident opinion on why one should, and shouldn’t, move to Israel
This evening, in Israel, Aliyah Day will begin.
Aliyah Day exists as a symbolic day of appreciation for the many olim (Jewish immigrants) who have made Israel home.
For the most part, it’s a non-event that is short on substance. I think it’s also an annual missed opportunity.
For one, the State of Israel continues to refuse to report honestly on aliyah numbers — because its stubborn insistence is to report only on those coming to Israel. Thus, the picture always looks various degree of good. Olim retention is a major problem. For countless, Israel is a revolving door. Until the State makes serious effort to engage with that dynamic, it’s a vacuous excuse to pop some champagne.
Post-aliyah assistance is marginal compared to the enormous efforts Israel goes to to convince world Jews to move to Israel; the efforts that are undertaken often feel lackadaisical.
There are serious challenges facing olim in Israel. These were recently elucidated by the Times of Israel in its excellent piece about the stupefying state of the real estate market here that has come to prevent all but the very wealthy from getting on the property ladder.
It’s also an annual day to reflect upon aliyah. Here are a few reasons that are commonly suggested. I’d like to offer my unsolicited opinion on them. And share what I think is the only worthwhile one.
Don’t Move To Israel Because The Weather Is Nice
Undoubtedly, there has been at least one Birthright participant who chose to move to Israel because the weather looked a good deal nicer than what they were used to back home.
This, in my opinion, is an awful reason to move to the Middle East.
Good weather can be found in far more peaceful and less expensive climes.
Can I suggest Spain and Portugal instead? No geopolitical conflict in your back door. A much lower cost of living. It’s also an EU member state so if you can base yourself there you can move freely around the whole Union.
Don’t Move To Israel Because … Startups
No, really.
I’m not denying that there are opportunities to be exploited working in Israel’s startup sector. But is that really a good enough reason to move country?
However, some realism is warranted.
Israel’s high tech nucleus employs only 10% of the country. And are startups really the best organizations within which to build a career? Will startups even HIRE you when you’re (gasp) in your 30s and beyond?
And what about the pay?
Average salaries in Israel generally lag behind those of other developed countries. Which makes zero sense considering that it’s cost of living is one of the highest in the world. Real incomes, for many, are squeezed.
If you’re a developer you can make a good salary, sure. But what if you work in a field that’s far less profitable in Israel?
Finally, don’t forget that Israel is not an English-speaking geography. If you’re looking for a job that has English at its core — like journalism or content marketing — you may find much more fertile opportunities outside of the country.
Still interested?
Don’t Move To Israel Because The Healthcare Is Cheap
Well maybe if you need an operation and it’s far cheaper in Israel you should.
But if you’re fit and well?
I’m a huge fan of the healthcare system in Israel, by the way. It’s affordable. It’s accessible. It’s well-digitized. I’m enormously grateful for the fact that — as as an asthmatic — I no longer need to triage my breathing difficulties in the manner I did in Ireland. There’s no such thing as breathing being “not quite bad enough yet” to see the doc. If it’s sub-par, I’m in.
Nevertheless, I think that moving here because it’s cheap would be shortsighted. You have to set the cost of healthcare against the other costs involved in living here which tend to be, you know, a little on the outrageous side. Does healthcare really offset those? I think for most young people the answer is probably no.
Don’t Move To Israel Because Of The Falafel… Or The Shawarma… Or The Tubi
It’s true that falafel is relatively cheap and plentiful in Israel.
I may have mentioned that I effectively subsisted on a steady diet of falafel and arak and coffee for my first three years in the country. On year four, I was found to have developed gallstones and needed to have an organ excised from my body. So make what you want of my dietary advice.
Falafel is great. It’s also bursting to the seams with lots of juicy fresh ingredients. I’m getting hungry writing this. Make sure you ask for tahini AND amba.
But falafel — even though I love it — really isn’t a good enough reason to move to Israel even. Even shawarma isn’t.
And not even Tubi 60. Yes, that liquid above. It didn’t emerge from a camel. Sorry to be vulgar. Tubi 60 is excellent and I’m glad to see that they’re now exporting around the world. Even if when I found it in Dallas, Texas this summer I couldn’t help but notice that it was cheaper than in Israel. What can I say? I was surprised but not surprised.
DO Move To Israel Because It’s The Only Jewish Country In The World
Here’s my point.
People — and even aliyah organizations — provide all sort of tepid reasons for why it makes sense to move to Israel.
I reckon these do future olim a disservice because they encourage people to move here for the wrong reasons.
Or at least reasons that aren’t going to be solid enough to buffer them for what life in Israel may have to throw at them that will make them question their resolve to be here.
Sorry to be so negative, but I also believe that most of them don’t hold up to scrutiny. If I were craving a nice climate to retire in, I’d probably go for Portugal or the Canary’s quicker than I would Israel. Etc, etc.
And besides. If you’re going to be paying $10 for beer and driving in what feels like a real life version of a Go Cart circuit then you’re going to need a pretty good reason motivating you to power on.
Sometimes, in life, it’s best not to beat around the bush. To go straight for the jugular. That’s why — even though it sounds weird when you’re being asked in a casual business context — my answer to anybody’s question of “why did you move to Israel?” is “because I’m Jewish.” I rarely even tack on “and I think it’s the only place it makes sense to be.” I let them react to that however they see fit.
In my book, and my understanding of the world, that’s the only reason to move here that actually makes any sense.
Because Israel is the only Jewish country in the world and — as a Jew — it’s the only place you feel you belong in the world.
If that’s what’s driving your aliyah I reckon you have a decent chance of being happy and successful in Israel.
The falafel and the beach and the Tubi will be nice bonuses.
Happy Aliyah Day!
