Some musings from Jerusalem as we meet a new group of new immigrants at the Beit Canada absorption center…people have a variety of reasons for making aliya.  One Canadian girl says, “Americans from Jewish centers such as New York City, have not necessarily made aliyah in an attempt to escape explicit or implicit discrimination. Rather, [the] choice is motivated by a desire to live freely in all senses of the word…There is a sense of ease felt here as a Jewish person that may go beyond any logical or tangible explanation. ”  And a British girl says, “After years of telling people that I’m going to make Aliyah, I have finally done it. Some people have no problem leaving their families, countries and homes; some people might even be desperate to leave. But for me the idea of moving made me feel completely torn…But however much I love and need my family, eventually it was time to make Aliyah.”  There you have it; whether the decision is made out of fear or out of love, the feeling that Israel is “home” is what brings Jews to Israel.  But, I’d go even further than that; I knew from age seven that I want to live in Israel, even though I didn’t make aliya until after college.  It’s a neshama thing – there are some souls who belong here, while there are still many who are more fitting for life in the Diaspora.  Soon, though, the majority of world Jewry will live in Israel and that is when we will see real change. 
For more musings, especially on the weekly Torah portion with the secrets of the parsha, got to http://www.jerusalemconnection.org/weekly  And if you like delving deeply into matters of prayer and meditation, you’ll find yourself at home with our books, at www.jewishspiritualbooks.com  Finally, if you want to know what’s going on with Chabad in Jerusalem, you need www.chabadjerusalem.org  Enjoy!