Diaspora Jewry
The new immigrants “were ready to leave everything behind, in a challenging period of global turmoil, to come build a new life in Israel,” says Jewish Agency chairman Isaac Herzog.
“This is the closing of a particularly moving circle; entire families are being reunited in Israel,” said Amira Ahronoviz, director general of the Jewish Agency for Israel.
Israel’s National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat, who is of Moroccan heritage, said relations with Morocco “are especially significant, beyond the diplomatic and economic aspects.”
Though the term itself has gained traction in the last decade, there have always been Jews of different races. Scan the globe today, and you’ll find Ethiopian Jews and the African Lemba tribe whose men test positive for the Kohen gene, a marker of the Jewish priests.
Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef met with Emirati officials, inaugurated a new Jewish school in Dubai and took part in a ceremony with the rabbi of the local Jewish community.
Hailing from Northeast India, the Bnei Menashe community is said to be descended from the biblical Lost Tribes of Israel.
“We are confident that the declaration will shape how the Jewish people relate, empower and engage with one another now and for generations to come,” said Our Common Destiny CEO Sanford Cardin.
“In the face of a common crisis, Jews near and far must stand as a united people. Now is the time to leverage our power as a 15-million-strong global family by building new bridges of cooperation,” said Israel’s Minister of Diaspora Affairs Omer Yankelevich.
The Knesset approves a plan that will allow any individual eligible for an immigration visa or certificate according to the Law of Return—or a participant in a Jewish heritage program—to perform national service.
The foiled takeover of a plane in the USSR prompted worldwide involvement in the Soviet Jewry movement, even though those in “Operation Wedding” paid a price for their actions.
The gathering also marked the launch of an international center in Jerusalem that will chronicle the history and culture of Jews in the region.
Rabbi Yaakov Menken, managing director of the Coalition for Jewish Values, said “instead of a cold détente attained via surrender to unreasonable demands, these new agreements promote peace based upon common security needs and mutual medical, technological and financial benefits.”
