Diaspora Jewry
“As we go to elections again, it is important for olim to sound their voices and the diversity they bring with them, informing decision-makers of issues that must be addressed,” she says.
Effi Lahav has been working tirelessly for the release of the American convicted of espionage for Israel. His efforts have finally borne fruit.
The former U.S. Navy analyst, who spent 30 years in prison for spying for the Jewish state, was greeted at the airport by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
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.
