Page 8 - The Canadian Jewish News, Friday, January 25, 1974
Shevat is Aliyah Month
An article by Yaacov Gross, editor ofA/iyon Magazine, New York.
TOUR VEALEH BUSINESS OPPORTUNniES
By JAMES KRAUS
JERUSALEM -
"Coming into a merkaz klita (absorption centre for new immigrants) is probably one of the most controversial . ways to try to adjust to. Israeli life," Dr. Michael Rosenblatt said as we were sitting in his new apartment in Ramat Eshkol in Jerusalem-.
"Most of the time you spend IS with other ohm and the problems typical to all. immigrants - housing, work, the bureaucracy - and you never get to know the real Israel. Fortunately, I had arranged work before coming and we wereabletoleave after the first three months."
Dr. Rosenblatt is a 29-year-old Toronto specialist in internal surgery now
■ working. at. J e r u s a 1 e m ' s Shaarei Zedek hospital.
The doctor and his wife Ruth are former residents of Toronto, where their families, still live. Ruth grew up in the Wilson and Bathurst. neighborhood and Michael at 67 Viewmount Ave., and both have been active in the Bnei Akiva. youth movement. They had long planned to come to Israel, but decided on a two year trial period. "We gave up the notion of living ma kibbutz which, was the ideal of the movement. We also knew the first year.would be nothing but difficulty and we. decided to stick it out.to see how things 'went after the initial hurdles."
Both .came with no-funds ' when Michael finished his internship at the New Mount,
. Smai Hopsital in - Toronto. Unlike many older, more settled immigrant, couples, however, they were starting out in life." We had nothing
to lose,:" Michaelsays, "and -we decided that' if we had a : life to live, let it be in Is- . rael."
The Rosenblatts have two children, Dan, now almost four, and their infant daughter Tamara, a native Jeru--salemite. They were lucky to have found an apartment quickly. Ramat Eshkol was one of the first areas to be
aciiiistriierit
Aliyah has been publicized and talked about, everywhere but too often we;missedsee-ing the forest because the. trees were'in the way. We have frequently directed our_ concerns at the technicality -~ies-of-aliyah ~ at what' to 1^ take and what to buy in Is-Tael, how to_get the most out' ofthe Jewish Agency or what the last iota ■of immigrant "rights" signifies. ThesT" are allimportant in their own right inhelping to implement our decisions to live in Israel, but it is time to go back . to basics: ■:: ., ,
. The pf'esent generations of Jewis have a unique and pri-'.viieged position, in the long and painful history of our. people, in the opportunity to play a personal role in the re-creation-'of the Jewish - state. No one has yet come up mih a more viable answer to the Jewish problem than Israel. But there.can be no lisi-ael without Jews. It is true that in the few ' short decades of' Israel's existence much has; been done and it is all too easy to take Tel Aviv, the kibbut- , zim and the reunification, of-Jierusalem for granted! But it IS far from being a final and <;ompleted job. In fact.
The Rosenblatt family at home (1 to r), Dan, 4, Michael, Ruth, Tamara, 11/2.
developed after the Six Day War and specially advantageous prices were' offered to those willing to live m the -then. no - man's. land. Today, the new prosperous neigli-; borhood is . well developed, with about half the families immigrants.. They are well, aware the same apartment would now cost them more than triple.
■■■ For Mrs. Rosenblatt, find- . ing work was more difficult than for her husband. After changing several jobs, she worked for the Ministry of Social Welfare handling cases in Jerusalem's poorer neighborhoods. "The work was 100% frustrating,'' she adds, "but it.certainly gave me a good idea of what life on the-other side is like." She has now.obtained a satisfac-.
tory job. in her field and is doing research on child development as a psychomot-rist for Hadassah Hospital.-- A lot has changed since^ they first came "and it's been a lot of fun-watching a country grow and having a personal pleasure in feeling that it's really yours." Mrs. Rosenblatt said. "Israel is on the. way to becoming more affluent, and many household items that were unavailable three years ago can now be readily found. Oh, it's true they're more expensive than • in Canada, but anyone whO' wants to settle: in Israel should be prepared to settle for. a little bit less of everything they were accustomed to "
Their day to day life isn't very much different from
what they had back in Toronto and both adapted quickly af^ ter their initial stay in the . Ben. Yehuda Absorption Centre in Netanya. They had strong backgrounds in Hebrew, before coming and emphasized . It was one of the important reasons they came ■ to feel at home. Unlikemany otherimmigrants, they have' not been. isolated from con^-tact with Israelis and receive a steady stream, of invitations for informal visits: . When we went back for a. visit after two years Canada seemed like . a foreign country, and. then we really
knew we belonged in Israel.....
I don't mean to say there isn't room for a lot of improvement here and everyone of course has to make his -own personal- decision
whether he will stay or not. . But for us, it's a small nation with a tremendous impact on the world and we are proud to be living in a Jewish country.
• ■ "The Yom..Kippur War made little, change in our personal., or ..professional lives. Michael continued working in the hospital, though his -patients;: were largelv soldiers, and I stayed home trying to keep a regular routine. InFebruary Michael .will go into the Is-:, rael Defence Forces for ; 1 ,1/2 years of regular service, as applied to all im-migrant doctors. . ^
"The war has strengthened our conviction that w€ made the right choice."
the overwhelming area of. Israel - is still wide open for -settlement and Jewish ini- ■ •tiative; Social and economic problems and the whole ques-_tion of the quality of the life -we are evolving cry out for "solutions. - These can only be tackled by Jews commit--ted to the Zionist concept. "
J We, therefore, Welcome the idea of the Aliyah Month as an organized opportunity for bringing .our view on aliyah to the Jewish community.
In Ontario, activities, par-: lour meetings and mass meetings will be: drr gahized. by. major, organizations, s y n a.g o.g ii e s, brotherhoods and sisterhoods. These meetings will' be organized in conjunction with .the Canadian Zionist federation and the Ontario Isra;el - Aliyah Centre, at. 788 Marlee Ave.,.it is incumbent, upon all of us to.heip and take part in Aliyah Month and help, utilize this vehicle for increased aliyah from pur . community. For ih-forrhation on how your group, or you individually.can become involved, please call the Israel Aliyah Centre at 781-4660.
INDUSTRY
Israel: Land of aliyah
The Hebrew word "oleh'.', i immigrant, is related to the word "aliyah" which basic-ailv means going up, to ascend. A Jew who decides to : . live in Israel does not simply emigrate, leaving his coun-; try of origin. He rather comes up to Israel in the ; symbolic sense. Should you be interested in immigra-; tion. and investment possi-; bilities in Israel, kindly note i that: - The state of Israel ■ provides special facilities and reductions for new im-
migrants. The Department of Immigration and.Absorption of the Jewish Agency and its offices throughout the U.S. and Canada, provide an up-to-date information and consulting service regarding all "aliyah" queries.
Registration: All formali-,,ties are carried out through our offices, including the . medical check-up and consular services. You can come to Israel on an immigrant's visa or as a. potential immigrant. -
Haifa - CLOTHING FACTORY Seeks 50°/o active partner for expansion. First year investment: IL 250,000. Estimated annual income: IL 30,000 plus salary. Employs 30 workers. WUl absorb a single, olim family., ' ' Tel Aviv - STEAM LAUNDRY With new equipment. Seeks owner. First year investment: IL 500,000: Estimated annual income: IL 60,-000. Employs 10-workers. Good for 2 olim families.
-~ SMALL INDUSTIBY Holoii - LEATHER^LIPPER WORKSHOP Seeks 50°/o partner, yo.unger than, 55. First year, investment: IC^I 8,000.- Estimated annual income: IL 40,000. One worker. Good for a single olim family.
SERVICES Jerusalem ^ BEAUTY SALON & COSMETICS Good location. Seeks owner experienced in cosmetics iarid pedicure. First year investment; IL 73,400. Esti-. mated annual income: iL 24,000. 2 wc)i:kers. Will abeV sorb a single olim family. Jerusalem - PRIVATE HOSPITAL To be used for small operations and short hospitalization. Investors should be physicians;. First year investment: IL 2,908,000. Estimated ;anniial income: IL 568,000. 12 employees. Will absorb 3 olim families. Gadeira (Near Ashdbd) - PHARMACY ■ ' Seeks owner. First year investment; IL 50,000. Estimated annual, income: IL 1.2,00(3. Investor should be licensed pharmacist. Will ab-sorb a single olim family.; TRADE
Petaeh Tikvah - HARDWARE STORE ' 700 sq. ft. including 2^ shops plus a storeroom. First year investment: IL 400.000. Estimated, annual income: IL 100,000. Regular customers. Good 'for 2 olim families. Eilat ^ GIFT SHOP
370 sq. ft. in the new central bus station. First year investment: IL 250.000. Investor should be young with sales experience. Will absorb a single olim family.,
Tel Aviv - JEWELRY SHOP
240 sq. ft. Seeks owner. First year investment: IL 230,000.- 1974 turnover: IL 300,000. Investor must be experienced jeweler. Will absorb a single olim
AGRICULTURE
Tzofit (Near Natanya) - FARM 1,200 sq: ft. house with 4 rooms: a yard of 5/8 of an acre; chicken coop for 1,000 and citrus groves. First year investment IL 350,000. Estimated annual income: IL 20,000. Investor should be able to do manual labor. Good for a single ohm family.
For further information on ttie above and other investment opportunities write:
TOUR VEALEH DEPARTMENT
788 MARLEE AVENUE TORONTO M6B SKI
781-4660
CANADIAN ZIONIST FEDERATION
CENTRAL REGION
788 MARINE TORONTO, Ontario
INFORMATION ON HEBREW CLASSES KEREN HATARBUT
INSTITUTE
787-0197
SPEAKERS BUREAU 787-6171
YOUTH AND HECHALUTZ YOUTH TOURS TO ISRAEL
783-4722
FILM LIBRA^ 787-6171
ISRAEL ALIYAM CENTRE -
78t-4660
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VOICE
IN CANADA
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THE ISRAEL ALIYAH CENTER OFFERS INFORMATION & ASSISTANCE ON:
• Transportation
• Temporan/ furnished housing
• Customs exemptions © Exemptions on Income Tax
• Health Insurance 0 UI pa mm 9 Retirefiient
Ci )N r AT. 1
Israel Aliyah Centre 78J-4660
• Low rental housing
• Low interest mortgage loans
• Customs reduction on automobiles
• Educational benefits
• Kibbutz programs
• Higher eciucation