"Israel National Radio’s Aliyah Revolution program interviewed Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Thursday, asking the American-Israeli rabbi what he sees as the key to mass Jewish immigration from North America. "You can read the interview or listen to it.
But to save some time: the rabbi says that the key to mass Jewish immigration is talking about the A word -- Aliyah.
Yup, that ought to do it. And after you get to Israel, make sure to pat yourself on the back frequently.
Rabbi Riskin: I think educators, teachers, rabbis, have to once against establish Aliyah as a priority. You know Rabbi Yisrael Salanter said that there are two ways of reforming Judaism. One is by declaring the specific mitzvah no longer necessary to do, G-d forbid. The other is simply by not talking about a mitzvah. And the “A-word” – Aliyah - is generally not spoken about. Not in our yeshivot and not from our pulpits…And that is tragic. I think that once again Aliyah must become a priority and people will respond.
2 comments:
Some 20 years ago, when I was learning in yeshiva in EY, I spent a shabbat in Efrat with a friend of mine who knew R' Riskin. We ate the Friday night meal at his house and the main topic of conversation was why we should make Aliyah. While I have yet to do so, my friend did so several months ago (perhaps the seed was planted back then.)
"Yup, that ought to do it. And after you get to Israel, make sure to pat yourself on the back frequently."
Whose attitude is this? R' Riskin's? I doubt it.
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