ALIYAH COMMITTEE
AMTON Newsletter
Spring 2003

From The Heart
by Charlie Kalech

Having become parents for the second time this past year, my wife, Alexis, and I wanted to celebrate and go out to dinner. My mom wanted to treat us and told us to charge it on her credit card.

Here in Israel, the unfortunate reality is that it is not unusual for us to be treated by our parents. Many of our friends receive financial help from their parents. With more than 10% of the Israeli workforce unemployed and 20% of Israelis living below the poverty line, the effects of the intifada on our economy are devastating to us all. Some parents help on a monthly basis, others give lump sums for major purchases. In the current economic climate, it is very difficult to get by on our own.

We hadn't gone out to eat for a while, so we weren't sure where to go. Rungsit, a Japanese/Thai restaurant across from the Inbal Hotel was our first stop. We got there and saw some postal delivery notices taped to the locked door. The inside was deserted and unkempt — another business closed. Back in the car, we headed downtown to our second choice, the Mongolian Bar-B-Que. The premises were absolutely empty. We finally made our way to Yossi Peking — Chinese food, a long-time stable favorite. We were there for two hours during which only two other tables were occupied. We all enjoyed dinner, but the desolate atmosphere saddened me.

In Israel, everything I do helps the country. When I shop, I buy products which were either imported or manufactured by Israelis, delivered by Israelis and sold by Israelis. When I work, I contribute to the economy. If I go out to eat, I am supporting Israeli businesses and in turn I am helping Israeli families who are going through some very hard times right now.

There is no substitute to being here if we want to support the Jewish State and people. Now is not a time to come to Israel to take a vacation. Now is the time to show your support for Israel by coming here. Even if you come for less than a week, you help so many people during your visit. We need you to come. We want to see you. We need you to go to our restaurants, to shop in our stores. We need to see you on our streets and we want to welcome you in our homes. We want you to come pray in our synagogues and celebrate our festivities. Jerusalem is missing its tourists — the sounds of laughter and the expressions of new sites being discovered.

I think that Israelis are past the anger. We are past the fear. We are also getting past the depression and hopelessness. Now we are reaching towards acceptance. We realize that this is not a crisis. This is a new reality, for us in Israel, as well as for Americans and Europeans. The terrorist threat stretches across the globe. I feel the changes all around me and from a distance American Jews seem to have responded to terrorism by removing themselves and their children from experiencing Israel.

Those of us in Israel feel this. Not only are Americans denying themselves the opportunities of experiencing Israel, but, by removing themselves from the scene, they leave Israelis without a partner for dialogue. I no longer have the opportunity to welcome the scores of friends and family members and American teens who visited in Jerusalem every year. I no longer have the insightful discussions during which we would exchange viewpoints and meaningful discourse. It saddens me that first-hand knowledge has been replaced by ignorance, emotional ties with apathy, and dialogue with assumptions. The experiences which created a lifetime bond between Jewish American visitors and their historic homeland have evaporated. A new generation is coming of age without a personal connection to Israel or to its people.

The damage goes deeper than the economy. As an American I know the importance that these trips play in developing an understanding of what it is to be a Jew. As an Israeli, I feel the rift between American and Israeli Jews is widening because there are fewer encounters between us.

In Israel we are grateful for all American Jewish support, including launching an effort to buy "blue and white" and to bring Israeli merchants to the United States. But make no mistake about it: material support is no substitute for being here. As fewer American Jews come to Israel, their connection to Israel lessens. The long-term consequences of this are already taking effect.

Israelis' physical distance from our American brethren has become more permanent and left us feeling more remote. We are feeling alone and are aware of our deteriorating relationship with our American brothers and sisters, like the relative who is an outcast, always invited but never visited.

Charlie Kalech, a founder of Tnuat AM, has been living in Jerusalem for over twelve years. He owns and operates a Website design company, J-Town Productions Ltd. Along with his wife and two children, Charlie is an active member of Kehilat Moreshet Avraham, the Masorti synagogue in East Talpiot where his oldest son attends the TALI nursery school. Charlie warmly invites all our readers to visit them in Jerusalem.

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