Masa, an organization founded by the Jewish Agency and the Government of Israel, has detected a growing interest in aliyah among Masa fellows in various programs, even with the backdrop of the war. “I decided to make aliyah after my first visit to Israel when I was 15 years old. At first, it felt like a far-fetched dream, but after each visit, it became clearer it would be a reality,” said Emma Rosenau from the US, a Masa Israel Teaching Fellow currently teaching English in her program. “Since October 7th, my decision has solidified itself. I’ve lost many friends back in America due to their uneducated and antisemitic views. At this point in my life, Zionism is the most important value I hold, and it feels like the only place in the world where I can be around.”
Masa fellows from Russian-speaking countries concluded their program and received their Israeli identity certificates in a festive ceremony, having chosen to make aliyah. Approximately 90 program graduates officially became Israeli citizens at the culmination of their program. The participants arrived in Israel at the beginning of their program in early September and resided in the Ayanot Youth Village. They specialized in various professions such as graphic design, Java development, motion design, and more.
When the war broke out, they chose to stay and were undeterred, even in the face of frequent sirens in their area. They volunteered regularly in the kitchen at Ayanot, established by the Tlalim company, providing 500 hot meals to soldiers daily. Alongside their internships and volunteering, they also learned Hebrew at Ulpan and traveled, exploring the land and Israeli society.
Due to the increasing demand, Masa held an aliyah conference. Participants received information from official representatives of the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, the Jewish Agency, and the Tel Aviv Municipality about their rights and options for integration and employment. Nearly 100 participants from the US, Canada, Argentina, Britain, France, and more registered for the conference.
Another Masa fellow who has decided to make aliyah is Noa, a 21-year-old from Paris. Noa’s Masa program was supposed to start on October 17th. Due to the war, it was postponed to the beginning of November. Her parents were not thrilled about her decision to come to Israel for the program, and they are certainly not enthusiastic about her plan to stay: “It’s my decision and no one else’s. Everything in Israel feels right to me. I had been here before, but when the war started, I understood definitively that I wanted to make aliyah. In Paris, I’m afraid to wear a Star of David necklace.”
“We at Masa applaud everyone coming to experience Israel for an extended period,” said Ofer Gutman, CEO of Masa. “They participate in career programs, English studies, medical studies, volunteering, and more, and all of this gives them meaningful tools for life after the program, especially if they choose to establish their lives here in Israel. These days, when the main emphasis is on security, and rightly so, we know that aliyah is the security of every Jew worldwide and that they have a home here. Choosing to immigrate at this time is a choice in solidarity and a statement that we are all truly one. B’ruchim Ha-Ba’im – Welcome!”
Ryan Kropp, a Masa Teaching fellow, who is also the 200,000th fellow at Masa, concluded: “I had the strong desire for a few years to make aliyah, which made me decide to participate in a Masa program to see if Israel was the right fit for me. Getting to see the warmth and liveliness of the Israeli people is what made me certain. The common challenge is the language barrier and the cost of rent coupled with the overall low wages compared to the cost of living, but living in Israel during the war further pushed me to make aliyah and made me realize the need to be strong together in our homeland. My family wishes I would stay close by, but in the same breath, they tell me how extremely proud they are of me.”