Shavuot Awesomeness

Please check out the amazing video of our Klean-Up in Hebron at the Tomb of Ruth and Yishai (just in time for Shavuot!)

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Shmittah Calendar: Month of Sivan 5769

The month of Sivan started on Sunday.

Right now is Motzei Shmittah and items, starting with vegetables start to lose their Kedushat Shevi'it. Many items will still retain Kedushah, however, for quite some time.

The following list is not fully comprehensive at all but includes some common everyday produce most people use. It is largely based on Rabbi Marcus's "Shmittah 5768: A Pratical Guide" (which we recommend you order for yourself here) and other sources. For more information on what these dates mean see here.

Kedushat Shevi'it Starts

There are no items that Kedushat Shevi'it starts this month.

Kedushat Shevi'it for these items remains in effect (with *ed items in Sefichim):

Almonds
Avocado
Carob
Dates
Grapefruit
Grapes for Wine
Guava
Kiwi
Nectarine
Olives
Paprika*
Pecan
Peanuts*
Persimmon
Plums (Euro Longated)
Pomegranate
Pomelo
Popcorn*
Sabra
Sunflower Seeds*


Kedushat Shevi'it Ends

On 1 Sivan
Chickpeas


On 10 Sivan
Cherries
Litchi
Mango
Mustard
Pumpkin


On 15 Sivan
Butternut Squash


On 24 Sivan
Pears


------------------
Sefichim Begins

There are no items that Sefuchim begins anymore.

Additionally Sefichim remain in effect for the following:


Paprika
Peanuts
Popcorn
Sunflower Seeds

Sefichim Ends

Sefichim ends for the following this month:

On 1 Sivan
Chickpeas


On 10 Sivan
Mustard
Pumpkin


On 15 Sivan
Butternut Squash


------------------
Biur

On 1 Sivan 5769:
Medlar (Shesek)


On 4 Sivan 5769:
Oranges


On 6 Sivan 5769:
Olives
Olive Oil


On 20 Sivan 5769:
Grapefruit
Pomelo


Note: The following items already required Biur:

On 1 Shevat 5768:
Fennel

On 14 Adar Bet 5768:
Sweet Potatoes

On 15 Iyar 5768:

Broccoli

On 1 Sivan 5768:

Medlar (Shesak)
Peas in Pod

On 1 Tamuz 5768:
Artichoke


On 19 Tamuz 5768:
Apricots


On 1 Av 5768:
Mustard


On 15 Tishrei 5769:
Butternut Squash


On 1 Cheshvan 5769:
Pears
Sabra

On 20 Cheshvan 5769:
Peanuts
Plums (Euro Longated)

On 1 Tevet 5769:
Persimmon


On 15 Tevet 5769:
Carob
Mango

On 17 Tevet 5769:
Apples

On 26 Tevet 5769:
Almonds

On 1 Kislev 5769:
Barley
Nectarine
Paprika
Peaches
Popcorn
Pumpkin

On 11 Kislev 5769:
Chickpeas
Sunflower seeds

On 15 Kislev 5769:
Kiwi
Plums (Japanese Round)

On 16 Kislev 5769:
Guava

On 25 Kislev 5769:
Figs


On 14 Adar 5769:
Dates


On 15 Nisan 5769:
Grapes


On 10 Iyar 5769:
Pecan


On 18 Iyar 5769:
Etrog

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Our Klean-Up Was Awesome!

Check out Yoseph and Melody's "Love of the Land" blog for some great pictures of our amazing, and miracle filled adventure in the Tomb of Ruth and Yishai.

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Kumah Kleanup for Shavuot: The Tomb of Ruth and Jesse

Clean Up Tomb of Ruth and Yishai

An amazing chance to help Israel honor our Matriarch, right before Shavuot
*Sunday, May 24, 2009(Rosh Chodesh Sivan)
*9:30am - 6:30pm
*Meet at upper level of Central Bus Station Jerusalem at 9:30AM (bus stop for the 160 line)

This coming Sunday, before Shavuot, we meet at the Central Bus Station, and get a bus to Hebron. When we get there, we go to the 'Tomb of Ruth and Yishai' and we CLEAN IT UP. Weed work, dust cleaning, fixing some tiles, moving rocks, maybe painting. We will be treated to FREE PIZZA and hopefully and reading of the Scroll of Ruth. Please bring clothes to dirty and gloves to work with. Email Yishai at kumah.org with questions, and if you're a member of Facebook, add yourself to the event.

Sponsored by Kumah - The NeoZionist Lobby

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"The Change-Place"

A few days ago, I went to cash some checks at a change-place in downtown Jerusalem. Cashing checks outside the bank is legal in Israel, and there are a few reputable establishments around Zion Square. One well known place, "Kent", is owned by Sephardic Jews and they recently decorated their store – which had moved to a new location – with many large, quality pictures of famous rabbis such as the Baba Sali and the Lubavitcher Rebbe and others.

Standing in line, after conducting a cell phone conversation in English, I was addressed by an American lady who was waiting to exchange her dollars into shekel...

"Rabbi pictures in a change place – that doesn't seem appropriate," she told me, with a look of disapproval, a scrunched up nose and a head shake. "It doesn't fit, you know, money and Rabbis."

At first I didn't grasp what she meant. Trying to understand what experiences she might be drawing from, I suddenly realized – she was concerned about the Christian stigma of Jews as money lenders, penny pinchers, and crook-nosed bankers, and did not want the perception she acutely avoided in America to be promulgated by this Israeli and very Jewish establishment. The rabbis on the walls coupled with unabashed money dealings made her feel uncomfortable.

I was taken aback. I did not expect anyone to feel this way about the common practice of rabbi pictures in sefardic establishments. I said to her without any trace of Zionist snobbishness: "Ma'am, we are no longer beholden to the prejudices of two-thousand years in which the nations stereotyped us with hateful libels. We simply do not worry about those things anymore. We don't think of ourselves as Shylocks and we do not look over our shoulder to concern ourselves with 'what will the nations say?' We are in downtown Jerusalem, our Jerusalem! This establishment is reputable, and the owners are sefardi, and they like this style. So why not have rabbis on the walls? What do we have to be embarrassed of?" I asked.

So far, a typical downtown Jerusalem conversation. But this is where it became amazing. After my little soliloquy, the nice American lady thought for a moment and surprisingly replied: "Oh… I guess you are right." And after thinking for about another ten seconds more she said: "Yes, you're right, and maybe these rabbis bring a blessing to this place."

Oh my G-d! Did you see that? Did you catch the miracle? Well, let me explain it in any case:

When this fine lady first came to the change-place, she was repelled by what she saw. She was repelled because she was seeing the store through the lens of the Jewish experience of the last two-thousand years of exile. She was utilizing the thoughts Jews had honed in places like Lodz, and Kiev, Bagdad and Tripoli. These Exilic fears are ever-present even in minds of the emancipated Jews of North America. In short, she was looking at the change-place with Exile-eyes which is why she felt uncomfortable with the rabbi/money nexus.

However, this same lady, who until a moment ago was still in the grips of the Exilic mindset, was able, over the course of a short conversation, to completely change her perspective from one of Galut (exile) to one of Geula (redemption)! She had an epiphany, a realization, a change of heart, an understanding, or what I call a shift in polarity. Only a short time ago, her Jewish soul was set to Exile-polarity, worrying about what the gentiles think, not recognizing that she stood in the heart of the miracle, downtown Jerusalem. Now, her soul awakened to the fact that she was part of a proud nation that has returned home, and that we have our own language, our own culture and our own heroes. The rabbis on the wall became not a source of shame, but a source pride, maybe even blessing.

Most importantly, the American lady suddenly felt free, free of prejudices and fear, free to be a Jew in Jerusalem and Israel. That is a miracle.

Most of us are stuck in the Exile. Heck, most of Israel and certainly the government of the State of Israel is stuck in the Exile. We just can't wrap our minds around the reality that the period of accommodation, pandering, and shame has ended. Our nation acts like a pathetic court-Jew trying to please the Duke or the Tzar, or the Pope, always acquiescing or bowing to international pressure.

Many of us think that Jerusalem and Israel are nothing but the same Exile in a slightly superior geography. How many times have you heard (or even said) "We are still in exile." That may be convenience talking, or it may be fear talking, but that is not G-d talking. Downtown Jerusalem is not Exile. Indeed, the only thing that is still in Exile is our brains. That has to change.

What gave me so much heart from my conversation with the American women is the speed at which she was able to assimilate a new consciousness. Her soul was willing o accept the truth, but her mind was not yet able. However, once her mind was freed her soul flew, allowing her to finally enjoy the fruits of redemption.

Wars, the ingathering of the exiles, and the establishment of the state were all amazing steps in redemption - but now the movement needs a second wind. The time has come for a new consciousness and a new awakening. It is time to take up the mantle of building our Jewish homeland and making it all it can and wants to be. All it takes is a change in mental polarity. If you're stuck in old-world Exile-thinking, go to the change-place in downtown Jerusalem, maybe the rabbis there can help you too.

Yishai

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The Fire From Sinai

If you were some sort of head of State, and you decided to pay an official visit to Israel on say, Lag B’Omer, you would probably return home and tell people, “it's a beautiful land, but the locals there, those Jews, they sure are a bunch of pyromaniacs!”

I’ve written before about how in America I used to think Lag B’Omer was about softball. After all the softball is symbolic of Torah and the light that shines forth from it symbolizes the light that Rav Shimon Bar Yochai brought to the world by authoring the holy Zohar. Now, however, I know that using bonfires in place of softballs fit the symbolism much more aptly.

This year I didn’t go to Har Meron. Instead, I hung out in Jerusalem. What struck me the most about last night, was not how many fires there were around the city, in every park, and open lot, but the absolute breadth of the types of people enjoying them. From the most charedi godal hador down to the most secular Jew that never even heard of the Zohar, let alone Rashbi, all were singing and smiling at a huge bonfire somewhere in the country.

And that got me thinking. Even if one isn’t particularly religious, just by living in the holy land of ours some religion is going to rub off on them. Take Purim as another example. Every single eight year old in this country - from ultra-secular to ultra-religious - dresses up for Purim and could likely relate to you the entire Purim story. This is not the case in America, where many secular Jews there never heard of Purim.

I came across an interesting Rashi on this week’s Parsha. Perhaps the most commonly found verse in the Torah is “And G-d spoke to Moshe saying.” This week the Parsha opens with an interesting variation. “And G-d spoke to Moshe, on Mount Sinai, saying.” Rashi asks, “Why here?” Hashem said all of the Torah to Moshe on Sinai! Why is only this one spot, which discusses the laws of Shmittah (the Sabbatical year) singled out?

Without going into depth (see it inside for details) Rashi answers that we could learn out from here that all commandments with all the details and fine points they involve, were taught on Har Sinai and completely repeated with full details by Moshe “at the Plains of Moab.”

A question that came to me is that the Torah could still have applied the words “on Mount Sinai” to any other commandment in the Torah and we would have been able to come to the same conclusion. Why did it specifically choose the commandment of Shmittah?

Shmittah is an example of something, even the most religious Jews living in America know very little about. It’s something that simply doesn’t apply there and so not much effort is spent studying it. The Talmid Bavli (which was written in Babylonia) doesn’t even have a tractate on it. Whether one was written but lost or never written is debated but the reason for either scenario would simply be because those laws “didn’t apply” to them. (Incidentally, the Talmid Yerushalmi written in the Land of Israel does contain a tractate on the laws of Shmittah.)

Two years ago, I remember being terrified by the upcoming Shmittah year, which I knew nothing about! I attended shiur after shiur trying to get up to speed on what all the laws are (and there are many of them!) The shiurim were all very heavily attended which demonstrated that lots of people felt the same way. Now that we have to keep these laws we should learn what they are.

And now we can understand why Hashem chose this commandment out of all the others to apply the words “on Mount Sinai.” First, this commandment was given to us by G-d via Moshe on Har Sinai just like all the other ones. There is no reason not to be studying it regardless of where you are living. Don’t forget about it! And second, just like all the other commandments, this one, was also given on Har Sinai and it’s one that you should be keeping too. And if the only way to keep it is by living in the Land of Israel, then what are you waiting for?

Make Aliyah!

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"The Identity-Impaired Jewish State"

"A Jewish State, what is that supposed to mean? You call yourselves as you like, but I don't accept it, and I say so publicly." This was Mahmoud Abbas' response to Binyamin Netanyahu's demand that Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish State as part of an eventual peace deal. What a classic Arab response to such a lame Israeli demand.

Asking the Arab and Muslim world for verbal recognition of Israel's Jewishness is the height of irony. Fatah and the Arab/Muslim world have always recognized Israel as a Jewish State. They don't recognize us in words – but they do so in actions - as every attack on Israel is the utmost recognition of its Jewishness. They want to destroy us because precisely we are Jews in a Jewish State. They recognize who we are, they just don’t accept it...

Why do we need enemies to give us affirmation, anyway? Where is the Israeli toughness, asserting our right to exist without concern for the opinion of others?

Throughout the long Exile and in the absence of a homeland, the Jewish people needed their host nations to recognize them, grant them security, and provide a nice quiet ghetto to live in – which they rarely managed to do. The founding of Israel was supposed to change all that. "Never Again" would Jews put their fate in the hands of others - the Jewish State was to exist on its own will, without regard to the whims of other nations. Unfortunately, sixty-one years after the founding of the State, we have returned to old-fashioned Exile thinking, basing our policies and plans on the recognition and approval of those who don't have our best interest at heart.

The Israeli government's fawning behavior toward the Pope is another example of the old-fashioned exilic thinking which has crept into our country:

For the last two millennia the Jews were kept lowly and persecuted under Christendom. The Catholic Church taught that G-d kept the Jews around as a 'witness' to their own downfall for rejecting Jesus, and to be 'witness' to the 'Second Coming'. Suddenly, instead of Jesus' resurrection, Israel was reborn. Seemingly, the prophecies of the Jewish ingathering and sovereign revival had come true. In contrast to Church doctrine, the Jews were no longer losers – we were winners, posing a real dilemma for Catholicism.

However, in honor of the Pope's upcoming visit, Israel is rolling out the red carpet. The Postal Authority has commissioned a set of stamps depicting Israel's churches while the Jewish National Fund is conducting a tour of trees that "are believed to have witnessed Jesus’ deeds". Our President, Shimon Peres has even called for the transfer of six "Christian" sites over to Vatican control.
Perhaps the most enthusiastic member of the Pope's welcoming committee, Israel's Ministry of Tourism, has produced a website and movie worthy of the jealousies of any Catholic missionary. The film presents the story of a divine Jesus as absolute truth. It does not politely suggest that the stories and places accord with Christian traditions, but rather asserts that the events Christians subscribe to actually occurred, offering no qualifiers to accommodate alternative beliefs – like Jewish ones. It is chilling to think that in the Middle Ages, thousands of Jews chose to die rather then affirm the Jesus myth, yet now our own Tourism Ministry affirms it wholesale on its official website.

After watching the film, two ironic thoughts may occur to you: 1. Now you understand why the Church has always put such a premium on Jewish converts to Christianity - we are just that good! We make the best Christian propaganda out there. Nothing like a meshumad (Jew for Jesus) to peddle the Pope's wares. 2. When the pro-Pope website and movie came out, you could just hear the collective joy of missionaries worldwide: it must be Messianic times when the Jews themselves are preaching the Gospel of Jesus!

The truth is that there are no closet-Christians in our government. It is simply that the people running the show are representative of the identity-impaired ethos of our time. This ethos leads them to kowtow to, and be pushed around by, foreign interested powers. The Church, as well as the Arabs, love to take advantage of our identity vacuum and to tirelessly promote their alternative narrative of the land of Israel. This is where Jesus did this, this is where Muhammad did that…

Therefore, in this identity-crisis, the first people that need to recognize Israel as a Jewish State are the Jewish people and the Jewish government of Israel. We need to understand that demanding recognition from others is meaningless when we ourselves forget our own identity.

In the case of Mahmoud Abbas, Israel does not need his recognition of our Jewish State. Rather, we need to act like a Jewish State by asserting our sovereignty over our land, and by having a zero-tolerance policy for hate crimes and Nazi-like incitement against Jews. 'Never Again' needs to become a meaningful mantra once more.

Regarding the Pope, let him keep the Vatican and we will keep Israel. Instead of promoting Catholicism, our government should use its time, money, and effort to promote the Jewish version of the Bible, our history. Tourism will not be harmed if the thrust of Israel's marketing campaign focuses on Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob instead of the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost.

The world needs to be told the truth – Jewish Israel is here to stay. Yet, Jews of the world need to understand that the world's acceptance of Israel as a Jewish State is totally dependant on our creation of that fact. We Jews must be reminded that the more we stand up for our truth and our beliefs, the more we will be respected, but the more we compromise on our heritage and our destiny, the more our right to exist will be challenged by those interested in promoting their own alternative narrative.

Yishai

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61 Years of Gastronomic Miracles

Time flies while you're having fun!

This is why we've come to expect so much from our tiny little baby state (I think 62 years old is the national equivalent of a kindergartner), and why this post is going up so many days after Israel's 61st Independence Day.

I just wanted to share a little thought I had at the makolet (small grocery store)the day before Yom HaAtzmaut.

Before I begin, let me just say that makolets are the intellectual breeding grounds of many Israeli women. A lot of socializing, informational exchange, and checkout-line-thinking-time happens in those locales, making the makolet one of the revolutionary thought centers of Israel.

The day before the holiday celebrating the erection of a Jewish State, I joined the throngs to procure charcoal, chicken, marshmallows, and french fries, standard celebratory fare for Israel's most beloved barbecue holiday (soon to be replaced by Pesach, G-d willing!).

After elbowing a lady in the eye to get the last bag of mehadrin pink and white marshmallows (I will never understand strawberry marshmallows - sue me for my white-only Exile mentality), I toed up to the long line of shoppers waiting to leave with sacks full of party food.

For a moment, I wanted to be irritated. "Oh man, another 25 minute grocery line?! Give me a break," I thought.

Then I had two realizations which filled my heart.

1. 61 years ago, there were only about 645,000 Jews in the entire country, barely enough to fill one Mister Zol (ok, a little more than enough) - now there are over 5.5 million. It's a miracle there are so many Jews to stand in line before me at the store.

2. 61 years ago, I wouldn't be purchasing 85% of the things in my cart for one of two reasons: 1. the item wouldn't be available, or 2. it would be so expensive, I would never dream of using my ration cards to obtain it.

With these thoughts in mind, my trip to the makolet transformed from a source of annoyance to a joy of Zionist patriotism. Standing in that line, I felt a surge of a gratitude, and pride in the beeping of the bar code reader and clinking of change in the cash register.

Israel is on the up on up, just gearing itself up to exceed our most terrific expectations. May you be blessed to get nachas from the process of Israel's growth, in every situation, whether you score the last bag of marshmallows or not.

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Shmittah Calendar: Month of Iyar 5769

Right now is Motzei Shmittah and items, starting with vegetables start to lose their Kedushat Shevi'it. Many items will still retain Kedushah, however, for quite some time.

The following list is not fully comprehensive at all but includes some common everyday produce most people use. It is largely based on Rabbi Marcus's "Shmittah 5768: A Pratical Guide" (which we recommend you order for yourself here) and other sources. For more information on what these dates mean see here.

Kedushat Shevi'it Starts

There are no items that Kedushat Shevi'it starts this month.

Kedushat Shevi'it for these items remains in effect (with *ed items in Sefichim):

Almonds
Avocado
Butternut Squash*
Carob
Chickpeas*
Dates
Grapefruit
Grapes for Wine
Guava
Kiwi
Litchi
Mango
Mustard*
Nectarine
Olives
Paprika*
Pears
Pecan
Peanuts*
Persimmon
Plums (Euro Longated)
Pomegranate
Pomelo
Popcorn*
Pumpkin*
Sabra
Sunflower Seeds*


Kedushat Shevi'it Ends

On 1 Iyar
Barley
Lemon


On 10 Iyar
Apricots


On 18 Iyar
Apples
Etrog


On 20 Iyar
Figs


On 22 Iyar
Plums (Japanese Round)

------------------
Sefichim Begins

There are no items that Sefuchim begins anymore.

Additionally Sefichim remain in effect for the following:

Butternut Squash
Chickpeas
Mustard
Paprika
Peanuts
Popcorn
Pumpkin
Sunflower Seeds

Sefichim Ends

Sefichim ends for the following this month:

On 1 Iyar
Barley


------------------
Biur

On 10 Iyar 5769:
Pecan


On 18 Iyar 5769:
Etrog


Note: The following items already required Biur:

On 1 Shevat 5768:
Fennel

On 14 Adar Bet 5768:
Sweet Potatoes

On 15 Iyar 5768:

Broccoli

On 1 Sivan 5768:

Medlar (Shesak)
Peas in Pod

On 1 Tamuz 5768:
Artichoke


On 19 Tamuz 5768:
Apricots


On 1 Av 5768:
Mustard


On 15 Tishrei 5769:
Butternut Squash


On 1 Cheshvan 5769:
Pears
Sabra

On 20 Cheshvan 5769:
Peanuts
Plums (Euro Longated)

On 1 Tevet 5769:
Persimmon


On 15 Tevet 5769:
Carob
Mango

On 17 Tevet 5769:
Apples

On 26 Tevet 5769:
Almonds

On 1 Kislev 5769:
Barley
Nectarine
Paprika
Peaches
Popcorn
Pumpkin

On 11 Kislev 5769:
Chickpeas
Sunflower seeds

On 15 Kislev 5769:
Kiwi
Plums (Japanese Round)

On 16 Kislev 5769:
Guava

On 25 Kislev 5769:
Figs


On 14 Adar 5769:
Dates


On 15 Nisan 5769:
Grapes

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Economic Crisis Prompting Israeli Expats to Return Home

TEL AVIV (JTA) -- When Oded Salomy and his family first left Israel for the United States, they planned to move back after a few years of career building. But life was good, and it quickly became easy to delay the return home.

Then the economic crisis hit, giving them an extra nudge to go back to Israel...

Now celebrating his first Independence Day in Israel in five years, Salomy marvels at the relative ease of the transition from suburban New Jersey to suburban Tel Aviv.

“I feel great here," he said. "I definitely feel it was the right move both for me as person and as a family.

The Salomy family is among a growing number of Israeli families living abroad who, motivated by new economic realities and ties to family, friends and country, are making the journey back home.

As many as 1 million Israelis live overseas, according to varying estimates, but the Israeli government over the years exerted little official effort to woo them back. That changed recently when the Absorption Ministry adopted a new campaign to offer returning Israelis tax and other financial incentives, as well as assistance finding jobs.

Last year, the number of returning Israelis rose to 11,000 from a recent annual average of 4,500, according to the ministry. In the past six months, as the global economic situation has deteriorated, interest in moving to Israel has skyrocketed, officials say -- not just among Israelis abroad but potential immigrants, too.

Among those returning are highly educated Israelis who have gained valuable work and academic experience abroad.

“I hope because of the campaign tens of thousands of Israelis will find their way back to Israel,” Erez Halfon, director general of the Absorption Ministry, told JTA. “I think it’s important to them, and the government needs to encourage it because I’m sure in 10 years we will see their importance, how the economy and security situation will be improved because of their return.”

Before launching its campaign, the ministry researched some of the main reasons Israelis abroad hesitate to return.

Among the major stumbling blocks the ministry removed were penalties for failing to pay National Insurance payments (akin to Social Security payments in the United States) while abroad. The ministry also provides extra Hebrew education for the children of returning Israelis, offers business loans and provides a tax exemption for two years on all income earned abroad.

While Israel has been affected by the economic crisis, it has felt the blow less severely than the United States.

Salomy, 41, had founded a transportation technology start-up while in America -- an interactive touch-screen system for the backseats of taxi cabs in New York City. Despite finding initial success, it became clear the company would have to raise tens of millions of additional dollars to stay competitive.

“Then the markets started falling apart and commitments crumbled, and with the pinch it became clear people were tightening up and the company was not going to be able to support me and my family any longer,” he said.

A lawyer by training, Salomy had to take temporary consulting jobs to stay afloat. His and his wife’s thoughts soon focused on their deferred plan to return to Israel.

“The deteriorating economy was not as bad then as it is now, but it was still pretty bad and it pushed us to make a pivotal life decision,” he said. “We told ourselves that if we want to move, we should move now.”

There were also “pull” factors: Salomy’s children were getting older, and he wanted them to grow up in Israel -- a sentiment many returning Israelis echo.

“The decision was not for a better life, but wanting to come back as the kids got bigger,” said Ruti Efroni, who returned to Israel last summer after five years in Washington. “They had even stopped speaking Hebrew to each other, and we wanted to come back to our families.”

When it comes to finding work, recruiters suggest that those who intend to return should move back first and then seek employment. Otherwise, the recruiters warn, the job seekers are not taken as seriously by prospective employers.

That’s what Salomy did after two “scouting” trips to Israel, where he had dozens of interviews and meetings. Soon after returning last summer, he found a job as a director of corporate development for Modu, a manufacturer of light mobile phones.

Nefesh B’Nefesh, the organization that oversees North American aliyah, attributes the 100 percent jump in the number of inquiries to their call center in recent months to the economic crisis.

“Israel has been on their agenda,” said Danny Oberman, executive vice president of Israel operations for the group. “They are looking towards summer camps and paying for next year’s education for their kids, saying, ‘OK, the bonuses I got two years ago are not going to happen; it’s a new landscape.”

Ronan Hillel, a 37-year-old father of six from Long Island, N.Y., has moved up his aliyah plans to June because of the economy. Until recently he was a mortgage banker, working in a field that has dried up in the United States and doesn’t exist in Israel.

But Hillel, the son of Israelis, is optimistic. He’s planning to switch careers in Israel to the food industry.

“We’ll do anything we can in the beginning," he said, "and we'll see where life takes us.”

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