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Many Faces, One Country
Congratulations to the winner of the Nefesh b'Nefesh "Israel In a Minute" video contest, recipient of $3,000 (that's 11,871 shekels for people in Israel THIS minute - cha-ching!), and maker of one kickin' PR piece. Reminds me of some of the material I received when applying to college - young, edgy, idealistic, and there's a chick with dreads - all the necessary components!
If you like it, and you live outside of Israel, click HERE.
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7 Comments:
At 1:39 PM ,
Aaron Amihud said...
I agree, this is one kickin' piece. There is no two ways about that. Mr. Hoffman is hands down the winner of this contest, kol hakavod lo.
Yet I do worry and I would like to attempt to open up a bit of debate here. Does Nefesh B'Nefesh really think that Israel's strongest selling point is that she is a very diverse country? Because I'm sorry, if I'm showing up in their office fresh from the streets of Manhattan, I'm not going to take too likely to the idea that I should give up all that I have for a diverse city like Jerusalem.
Not to say that Israel is not diverse, young and beautiful but when it comes to diversity, natural beauty and being hip, free and young, USA wins the contest.
And if this is true are we to believe that we can pull the wool over the eyes of American Jews and tell them that we are the capital of diverse and hip?
I think we need to start selling our strong points. Things like:
1) It IS the only place a Jew belongs
2) It has a booming economy that grew leaps and bounds during an Intifada and continues to grow by the hour
3) You can save a hundred thousand dollars on college tuition and receive a world class education all in the language of the bible
4) Meet your Jewish mate here
5) Free Jewish education for the children and free health care for the family
These are selling points that we have OVER the United States and I don't see them being pushed.
At 7:45 PM ,
Avi said...
Aaron - the problem is two fold with your suggestions:
1. They are too Jewish focused. That is to say that they aren't relevant to those non-Orthodox bretheren who don't (yet) send there kids to day school or even those who do but also make nice 6 figure salaries and whose spouses also make nice 6 figure salaries.
2. Free health care? Free education? Ma zeh? Rusiya? It's too communist/socialist. And selling aliya b/c of "benefits" is not the model that we should be using.
I like the diversity video - and I recently criticized NBN for
But it's not just that Israel is diverse. It's that, Israel is a diverse place to be Jewish. That is, there is Jewish pluralism and yet Jewish communities, no December dilemma, and even the most secular kids get some modicum of Jewish education (even if it could be better - thank G-d for the Masorti movement and Tali schools providing enhanced Jewish education in secular schools!). So, while Manhattan may be diverse, it's not home, but I really think that Jews of all stripes appreciate Israeli diversity (although they should join and enhance its cultural, spiritual, political diversity) is unique because it's JEWISH diversity. So, I do agree with point 1 but (A) that can't come out condescendingly and (B) Diaspora Jewry and Diaspora Jews who made aliya have significantly strengthened Israel, such as my favorite Jewish group - the Orthodox feminist movement.
4 works to a point for some birthright alum but I can just as easily meet a Jew in the US if I am inclined to do it and have a Jewish social network. And if I don't, I probably wouldn't make aliya.
I think point 2 about the economy is essential for American Jews to know but the American economy is still better and I would still make more money if I were in the US, and people know that. Of course, outsourcing and being able to bring your small business can make that less significant and NBN and others have done a good start with pointing that out to perspective olim.
It's all about Israeli diversity IMHO. You can't find that on the streets of New York (and, lest I add, not all Jews live in New York. In fact, most American Jews don't!)
At 7:59 PM ,
A Work In Progress said...
I found all those videos beautiful and inspiring and I am really looking forward to showing them on Friday before shabbat at our aliyah shabbaton. Kol HaKavod to those who made those videos - keep inspring Jews to come home!
At 1:49 PM ,
Aaron Amihud said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
At 1:57 PM ,
Aaron Amihud said...
You did correct my thinking. You are right, Jewish diversity is much different from a general diversity. And it is really important and a great selling point. I'll even go so far as saying probably more important than the five points that I raised previously.
But don't you think you were being a little too harsh on the five points that I did bring up?
First of all national health coverage is all the rage in america, it's a hot issue. First rate nations such as Britain and Canada give national health coverage. It's not a russian thing. And our health coverage is top notch. We are number three in the world in medical inventions (number three flat out, not per-capita).
Now I understand that families making six figures, this doesn't impress so much, but it doesn't hurt them either. And is it such a crime to be a Jew and not rich in America? I was. I came from parents who were both teachers. When they got a divorce I was poor. I don't think I was the only non-rich Jew in America. What rich Jews might call "benefits" we living on the other side of the tracks might call "life quality."
Why can't we sell it? Do we only want rich Jews? We want them all.
I don't think that my suggestions were too orthodox inclined at all. I am not orthodox but I always had a strong Jewish identity. Most non-orthodox Jews either have it or had it. 80% of the Jews in America are not orthodox, but I'm sure at least half of these non-orthodox embrace their Jewish identities.
So if I'm a non-orthodox mother not able to spend $15,000 a year for Jewish day school, which my mother was not, even though it was cheaper back then, I would imagine sending children to school in Israel where Hebrew is the language and at the very least would learn the Tanach, and be surrounded by Jews just might sound enticing. Why aren't we selling it?
And I think your success in finding a Jewish mate in America is also due to the fact that you are orthodox. The other 80% are experiencing an assimilation nightmare. If you aren't orthodox and you go out in Tel Aviv, everyone around you is much much more likely to be Jewish. So yes Tel Aviv nightlife should be a selling point. Israeli tourism started selling it but is Nefesh B'Nefesh?
Maybe I don't expect them to but on the account of Universities, this to me seems to be the biggest crime. Not everyone can afford $100,000 Ivy League educations and even if you could, why spend all that money when you can get a comparable education in Israel. MIT and the Technion are on the same standards of education. MIT's tuition alone is $33,000 a year plus another $10,000 for living expenses. The Technion in Haifa is free for an oleh and only $3,000 a year for an ordinary citizen. Also it ties in with a finding a Jewish mate because the vast majority you are studying with are Jews. Are we selling it? Sounds like a great sell to me.
And finally, why is it such a crime to be condescending to the American Jews. I think it's good for them. They need to start accepting the fact that we aren't your needy little cousins. How condescending is it to hear the excuse that it's better that American Jews stay in America to send us money. This is the biggest lie ever told and has been so for many years now. The Jews in America raise money in our name and keep the majority of it for themselves and their paltry gifts of two hundred million a year (I don't know the exact sum) hardly measures up to the 30 billion dollars we raise our own selves.
The Israeli Jew is superior to the American Jew in every aspect. If that sounds condescending then so be it.
At 2:23 PM ,
Aaron Amihud said...
correction: Israel's gdp is 140 billion a year and counting.
As for American donations that Israel receives I'm too lazy to look up. They probably raise a billion in our and keep 2/3 of it for themselves.
At 6:46 PM ,
Avi said...
You know what, Aaron. Except for the whole socialized health care -- and I am a die-hard capitalist so I can't be convinced there -- I agree with you.
I agree, NBN should be selling the Tel Aviv night life. They should talk about the fun, quality of life things for those of us who don't live in yishuvim or Ramat Beit Shemesh (not that there's anything wrong with that if it's free choice, and people are non-violent) Aliya should include the tangible benefits -- not the "rights" or the "free university" but I can deal with cheap tuition at the Technion comparable to (better than?) MIT.
I just hope someone will listen.
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