Nadene Goldfoot
We sure have a lot of rioting going on over Netanyahu's decisions about the war. Israel is made up of over more kingdoms than can be imagined as every man is a king of his castle...something very common with our Jewish people.
The biblical phrase "every man under his vine and fig tree" signifies peace, prosperity, and security, The phrase "every man under his vine and fig tree" is found in Micah 4:4 and 1 Kings 4:25. The image of people living safely under their own vines and fig trees conveys a sense of individual autonomy and freedom from oppression, which could be associated with the idea of a kingly state for each person.
We're all of opinions. But some of this certainly is formed by where our background was, our country of origin, our parents' attitudes and affiliations, our education, schools, and of course, our religious preferences; Orthodox, Reformed, Conservative Judaism, and all the others.
Approximately 75% of Israelis identify as Jewish. Many are Sabras (Israeli-born), with a mix of European, Middle Eastern, and North African ancestry. Around 21% of Israelis are Arab citizens, including Muslims, Christians, and Druze. About 5% of Israelis are neither Jewish nor Arab. This includes African migrants and non-Jewish immigrants from various countries such as England, Canada and USA.
When I made Aliyah in 1980, In the early 1980s, Aliyah from North America (including the USA) hovered around 2,500-3,800 immigrants annually. According to one source, between 1980 and 1987, roughly 90,000 Jews immigrated to Israel, while the same number left the country according to MERIP.
I found myself in a Hebrew class withmainly 40 Russian students. There were very few of us from theUSA, and my Grandparents' background was Lithuanian/Polish.
While the largest waves of Jewish immigration to Israel from Middle Eastern and North African countries occurred primarily between 1948 and the early 1970s, some Israelis who immigrated from this region did so after 1980. A notable example is the immigration of Ethiopian Jews (members of the Beta Israel tribe), who began moving to Israel in significant numbers in the late 1970s and early 1980s, according to Reform Judaism.org. Two major covert operations, Operation Moses (1984) and Operation Solomon (1991), facilitated the transfer of a substantial portion of the community to Israel.
In general, the Jewish exodus from the Muslim world, encompassing countries like Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen, primarily took place between 1948 and the early 1970s. However, a final wave of emigration occurred from Iran shortly after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
From 1980 to the present, major Aliyah (immigration to Israel) from European countries includes significant numbers from the former Soviet Union (including Russia and Ukraine), Romania, France, and Germany. Smaller numbers also came from Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and other European countries. Total aliyah numbers to Israel from 1980 on are:
1980-20,428=7,570 immigrants arrived from the FSU (former soviet union). While the FSU was the largest single contributor, it's important to note that the 1980s was a quieter period for Aliyah overall. Ethiopian Aliyah: While not the highest numbers in 1980 specifically, the late 1970s and early 1980s saw the beginning of a significant wave of Aliyah from Ethiopia. Thousands of Ethiopian Jews made the journey to Sudan and then to Israel, culminating in operations like Operation Moses in 1984.Decreased Aliyah: The 1980s saw a decrease in Aliyah rates due to factors like tighter restrictions on emigration for Soviet Jews and an economic crisis in Israel. Shift in Destinations: Many Soviet Jews who were allowed to leave during this period opted to emigrate to other countries, including the United States, rather than Israel.
1981-12,599
1982-13,723
1983-16,906
1984-19,984
1985-10,642
1986- 9,505
1987-12,965
1988-13,304
1989-24,050=In 1989, the most significant number of people who made aliyah (immigrated to Israel) came from the Soviet Union. Specifically, in 1989, following the Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev's decision to lift emigration restrictions, 71,000 Soviet Jews emigrated. However, only 12,117 of them chose to immigrate to Israel, with the majority preferring the United States as a destination.
1990-199,526=In 1990, the largest number of immigrants to Israel came from the Former Soviet Union (FSU), with over 185,000 individuals making aliya, according to the Jewish Virtual Library. This influx was part of a larger wave of immigration from the FSU throughout the 1990s, driven by political and economic changes and the lifting of travel restrictions.
1991-175,000=In 1991, the greatest number of people who made aliyah to Israel were from the former Soviet Union (FSU). 147,839 people from the FSU. 20,014 people from Ethiopia made aliyah to Israel in 1991. In 1991, 1,703 Americans made Aliyah (immigrated to Israel). In 1991, 966 French Jews made Aliyah to Israel.
2022, approximately 2,049 French Jews made Aliyah to Israel. This was part of a larger influx of new immigrants that year, with a total of 74,400 olim (new immigrants) arriving in Israel. While 2022 saw a significant number of French olim, it's worth noting that applications for Aliyah from France have seen substantial growth in recent years, with some sources indicating a doubling of applications according to the Greater Miami Jewish Federation. Factors like rising antisemitism and a desire to reconnect with their Jewish identity are often cited as motivations for this trend according to the Greater Miami Jewish Federation. Approximately 3,500 North American Jews made Aliyah to Israel. This immigration was facilitated by organizations like Nefesh B'Nefesh in cooperation with Israel's Ministry of Aliyah and Integration and the Jewish Agency for Israel. Specifically, Nefesh B'Nefesh reported that they helped around 3,900 North Americans make Aliyah. This difference could be due to some individuals not using Nefesh B'Nefesh's services or perhaps some people not completing the full Aliyah process within the same calendar year. The overall number of people making Aliyah to Israel in 2022 was 70,000, from 95 different countries, which was the highest in 23 years.
- "Refuseniks" and "Prisoners of Zion": Jews who applied to emigrate to Israel but were denied permission became known as "Refuseniks". Those arrested and imprisoned for their religious practice or pro-Zionist activities were called "Prisoners of Zion". Refuseniks faced severe consequences, including loss of jobs and homes, harassment by the secret police, and imprisonment on fabricated charges. Impact: The Soviet government's policies led to a significant decline in Jewish religious and cultural life. However, many Jews persisted in their faith and maintained their cultural identity, often in secret, according to My Jewish Learning even at the risk of imprisonment. The story of Soviet Jews in this period highlights the tension between individual rights and state control, and the impact of ideological agendas on the lives of ordinary people.Born 20 January 1948) now 77, is an Israeli politician, professional chess player and author. He served as Chairman of the Executive for the Jewish Agency from June 2009 to August 2018, and currently serves as Chairman for the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP), an American non-partisan organization. A former Soviet dissident, he spent nine years imprisoned as a refusenik during the 1970s and 1980s.
- Famous Jewish Refusenik from Russia: Natan Sharansky (born Anatoly Borisovich Sharansky) was a prominent figure in the Soviet dissident and refusenik movement, advocating for human rights and the right of Jews to emigrate to Israel. He was denied an exit visa in 1973 and became a leading spokesperson for the refusenik cause, according to ADST.org.
- In 1980, my Hebrew teacher in Haifa, Sarah, was writing letters to him and teaching him in them, Hebrew. I don't know how she did it, but she did. She told us about him. We were on a 10 month program to learn Hebrew. My husband had taught boys for their bar mitzvah, but he found he knew very little to work in Israel and communicate with everyone. You had to speak Hebrew, too!
- Got to Israel: After spending nine years imprisoned in the Soviet Union on charges of treason and espionage, he was released in 1986 as part of a prisoner exchange and immediately immigrated to Israel. Sharansky became very active in Israeli Government.
- Russians came to Israel without any chance of studying Israeli history or even Jewish history. Some came with gentile spouses. Such facts were not available in Russia. It would be interesting to know the make-up of the rioting groups and see if they understand Netanyahu's decisions. If they understand their Hebrew news on TV, they should be seeing the same I can get in English, or listen to the English.
- Resource:
- Edited 8/12/2025; 9:36pm.
- https://www.jpost.com/aliyah/article-834546
- https://reformjudaism.org/history-jewish-immigration-israel-aliyah#:~:text=Ethiopian%20Jews%20(members%20of%20the,in%20a%20US%2Dled%20operation.
- https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-705424
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natan_Sharansky
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natan_Sharansky#:~:text=As%20a%20result%20of%20an,prisoner%20released%20by%20Mikhail%20Gorbachev.
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