Israel ain't what it used to be in JPost.com
This land that we call home needs to be more than a mere ideological vision; I need to be able to afford to live here.
The average Israeli cannot afford to live in an average household.
Ten years ago, the people pushing hardest for me to come to Israel were the Zionist Federation and the Jewish Agency, despite their knowledge that many olim would not learn fluent Hebrew, and that many would be unemployed for months or even years. Many immigrants do not survive in their professions due to over-saturation, protektsia (connections), or language issues. Many immigrant children drop out of school, develop behavioral problems and, due to the elitist nature of the education system, may not get a university- level education. And still, the recommendation from the shaliach is the same: “Come home to Israel.” . . .
I call on the Jewish Agency to get involved in the housing crisis and create feasible solutions for the people who gave up everything to be here. Zionism will not pay the bills or put food on my table, and it definitely won’t provide me with the capital I need to house my family in the land that is supposedly my home. If you ask me to choose between Zionism and the well-being of my family, I will choose my family. They are my responsibility. Keeping me here is yours.
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