Aliyah Counselor Big Hit at YU

To date, more than one hundred undergraduate students and Yeshiva alumni have met with an official representative from the Israel Aliyah Center who comes to Yeshiva to answer all aliyah-related questions every Thursday from 2:30 to 5:00 on the fourth floor of Furst Hall. Established by the Israel Club in conjunction with the Office of Student Services, the program has proven to be a successful operation designed to serve the Israel-bound community on campus.

Since November, Opher Offen, one of the official employees of the Aliyah Center in New York, has volunteered to travel to the uptown campus and advise anyone who has any inquires relating to issues such as army service, where to live, where to go to school, and how to collect z'chuyot (immigrant benefits).

Offen assessed his goal as an attempt to "provide information… and allow people to decide [if they want to make aliyah] on their own." He maintains that coming to Yeshiva, an idea generated by Israel Club President Jason Orenstein last year, is a strategic one, because "there is no question that the best time to make aliyah is immediately after college."

In fact, the idea has been so popular, that one employee of Student Services who wished to remain anonymous said that there is always a "steady flow" of students to the point that "there has not been a day he's [Offen] been here without people [in the office]." Orenstein, who himself plans on making aliyah in the near future, noted that "after returning from Israel, people need a way to channel their desire for aliyah. Now, they have a place on campus to guide them." He continued to point out that "no other University has this [service]."

Now approaching his third year of service for the Aliyah Center, Offen stated that whereas last year two graduates of Yeshiva attempted aliyah, this year at least five students will be on their way to Israel this summer.

Certainly, aliyah is a serious issue facing the Jewish community. Recently at the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) Conference, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon declared that "now is the time to make aliyah and join us in building the country," thereby including aliyah on the list of today's top priorities.

In fact, statistics indicate that in North America, the amount of people making aliyah is decreasing by 10% each year. In addition, more than 80% of American Jews have yet to visit Israel.

Yet, as Offen explained, Israel needs immigrants not only to promote Judaism in the state of Israel, but also to "promote the economy." Orenstein added that "now, more than ever, we need to settle the land and put the facts on the ground," thereby showing the world that Israel is the homeland to the Jewish people. "Furthermore," claims Orenstein, aliyah is "our strongest weapon against the growing problem of intermarriage in America."

The Israel Club hopes to continue the weekly meets with Offen, open to undergraduates, alumni, or faculty of Yeshiva for the rest of this year and again next year. In addition to the private one-on-one consultations, The Aliyah Center of New York is holding a public information session, featuring testimonials from current olim on Sunday, April 22nd, 2pm at 633 3rd Ave in Midtown Manhattan.