Everything America has?

That's the portrayal of Nefesh b'Nefesh and other aliyah pushers. Oh, Israel used to lag behind America, but now its economy is advanced and its technology world leading. The only thing holding you back is your yetzer hara. 

So I'm here to tell you that's all lies. Israel isn't even close to America. Your standard of living will decrease 80% if you move here. I go into detail about this in other posts. And I'm not talking about granite countertops. I'm talking health care, transportation, and living conditions. And all that takes an enormous toll on your sanity, your shalom bayis, and even your religious observance.

Sometimes you hear that people are more religious in Israel. Well, aside from the 75% that violate Shabbos, the Modern Orthodox are far less religious. And the Haredim, well in Meah She'arim they are very good. But you are not moving to Meah She'arim. Wherever you move, the religious level is no better than Lakewood or Monsey. The middos are generally worse, if only because the average Israeli with whom Haredim are surrounded by is far worse. And the attitudes are militant. You lose seichel here.

You can lose motivation too. When I see a car driving on Shabbos in Brooklyn, I assume the driver is Italian. Here, it is a Jew, unless you on the border of East Jerusalem. And the mind says, he doesn't care about Shabbos. He's not being punished either. It affects you. Your own appreciation decreases. 

An English speaker also struggles because the shuls have nearly only Hebrew books. Most of the shiurim are in Hebrew. You can't speak to most of the gadolim.

You lose far more than you gain in Israel, in every way. It's not the right choice for most people. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Forget about reading and talking to people

It’s All About Power and Stuff

Stay where you are