But this kind of aliya, sweeping and affecting multitudes, by no means exhausts the problem, nor does it account for all the streams of immigration to Israel which are actually in progress. From England and other countries of Western Europe, from North and South America (especially the latter), from South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, immigrants have been arriving and settling, singly and in small groups, driven by no misery, pursued by no menace, oppressed by no denial of freedom, but drawn by the prospect of a full Jewish life and moved by the desire to take part in what is probably the greatest human adventure of our time—the dual resurrection of their people and their land. The contribution of this category of settlers to the morale and creative capacity of Israelis of all walks of life has been inestimable, and the question is whether and to what extent this movement will continue, whether it will dwindle or grow apace.

Experience has proved—and an elementary understanding of psychology ought to have made clear from the outset—the utter futility of any attempt to stimulate emigration to Israel from these countries by shaming or frightening their Jews into it. Something has been done, and a great deal more could be done, to facilitate and encourage that highly idealistic and eminently valuable immigration by creating more propitious conditions for its absorption and by removing obstacles which stand in its way. This again is a case of joint responsibility of the authorities in Israel and of Jewish and Zionist organizations in the diaspora. As far as the latter are concerned, it should become a matter of pride for them to be able to point to an increasing annual rate of immigrants to Israel from each country. Not only would this be of assistance to Israel and in many cases a way to satisfy the deepest wishes of the highest-quality individuals, but it would quicken the pace of Jewish life in those corners of the diaspora by intensifying their ties with Israel.

Fundamentally, however, the question here concerns an internal, spontaneous desire to carry one’s Jewishness to its ultimate conclusion by becoming a citizen of Israel. It is a matter of a free, individual decision for which only the person concerned can and should be responsible. And that decision will not stand the test of earnestness if it is motivated solely by the belief that one is needed in Israel for the performance of some useful service. The service capable of being rendered may be extremely useful, and the person rendering it would then deserve every blessing, but unless the conviction is formed that he needs Israel more than he is needed by it—that one cannot be personally and spiritually satisfied except in Israel—the determination will be lacking to succeed in the new country by overcoming all obstacles, material and psychological, which inevitably stand in the way of any newcomer, and the eventual result may be a personal crisis or failure.

But the appeal of a land and a people in the making, the chance to heal the schism in the soul of the Jew and make his personality whole, and the lure of his liberation from the indignities of social ostracism still practiced against the Jews in many a free country, will continue to beset Jewish life in what one might call the countries of plenty. Many a Jew, particularly of the younger generation, will find himself searching his heart to answer questions such as these: If the essence of his spiritual self is his Jewishness—assuming this is the case—why should he pass up the opportunity to give it full scope and expression? If the creative processes unfolding in Israel evoke in him so much admiration and enthusiasm, why should he deny himself the privilege of participating in them directly? If Israel reborn is indeed the greatest story of Jewish history, possibly the greatest story of our time, why should he not be one of its heroes? Questions of this sort can certainly be the subject of organized, purposive education. But even if not asked in a planned context, they will continue to be raised by the force of circumstances and by the call of Jewish consciousness.

 

The sixth and final aspect of the issue (final in the present analysis at least) bears on the relationship between Israel and the diaspora as between two entities of Jewish life developing side by side, particularly in the cultural and spiritual spheres.

The controversy as to whether the dispersion is a permanent or passing phenomenon of Jewish history may well, at least in the context of this survey, be considered purely academic and, for all practical purposes, meaningless. Even the most ardent prophet of the eventual complete elimination of the diaspora will agree that the process must stretch over an incalculable span of time, the end point of which is not only lost in the mists of a distant and unpredictable future but is constantly distanced further as the diaspora increases in numbers—as we all must hope it will continue to do. On the other hand, even the firmest believer in the permanence of the diaspora must agree that in the modern world, the continuity of Jewish life is no longer an automatic process, but calls for a conscious effort on the part of each individual Jew, and must be the subject of concerted action by every Jewish community. Yet practical policies in human affairs can in any case be conceived and applied only for a period within the foreseeable future. Hence both schools of thought can agree on what may be called the relative permanence of the diaspora and, on that basis, adopt a program of action which would have the dual purpose of perpetuating and enriching Jewish life in its global scope, on the one hand, and securing the advancement of Israel and the development of its connections with a dispersed people, on the other.

Such a program can be applied across a wide field of endeavor. Elements of it already have become prominent features of contemporary Jewish life. Some are happening spontaneously, while others are the result of institutional action. They comprise, though not necessarily in the order of their importance: The wave of Jewish tourism to Israel, which is beginning to assume mass proportions; visits to Israel by Jewish leaders, rabbis, scientists, authors, artists, and the like; gatherings in Israel of Jewish scholars, thinkers, and scientists; courses and seminars in Israel for teachers, students, youth group leaders, fundraising campaign leaders, and Zionist workers coming from various parts of the diaspora; the establishment in Israel of branches of rabbinical colleges based in the United States; conventions held in Israel by national and international Jewish organizations—not only those dealing solely or primarily with Israel, like the World Zionist Congress or the United Jewish Appeal, but congresses of international organizations of a general Jewish character, such as Agudath Israel, B’nai B’rith, and the World Union of Jewish Youth; the continuous, though not rapid enough, progress of Jewish-Hebrew education in the diaspora, through an expansion of the network of Hebrew day schools, the introduction of the teaching of Hebrew in public schools and colleges, the establishment of Hebrew teachers’ seminars, the organization of Hebrew-speaking circles, summer schools, camps, and the like; visits to diaspora centers by prominent Israelis not only for the purpose of fundraising, which in itself can have an important educational effect, but for special lecture tours on Israeli life and culture; tours abroad of Israel’s theater companies, dance groups, and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra; and last but not least, the manifold liaison and educational activities carried on within the Jewish communities by Israeli embassies and consulates abroad.

All these are mere beginnings, which need to be expanded and systematized. Some of these, and others as well, are no more than preliminary, unformed ideas. The diaspora is still on the threshold of a new era—one in which it will be called upon to undertake a comprehensive effort for the preservation and development of Judaism. A far greater movement is needed on the part of the communities to extend and intensify Jewish education, both by looking to Israel for inspiration and guidance and by discovering creative educational forces in their own ranks. The study of the ancient Jewish texts and the new literature of Israel today must be brought together in a single curriculum, where they will complement one another.

A movement must arise in the diaspora, particularly among young parents, to introduce into their homes religious rites and practices, primarily those connected with the celebration of the Sabbath and the festivals, without which it is impossible to create within the family the kind of spiritual climate which alone can kindle in children’s hearts a love and veneration for their people’s heritage, worship of its heroes, and attachment to its way of life. The saga of the rise of Israel as the universal focus of Jewish pride, the story of Israel’s struggles and achievements as the object of Jewish dedication, must find its due place in this renewed Jewish family culture. But the great historic challenge facing the Jewish diaspora today is the re-adoption of the Hebrew language, at least as the second cultural language of the Jewish communities in all countries and as the common medium which would unite them with one another and with Israel. It would be easy to dismiss this proposition with a skeptical smile. But we may venture a guess that as the years pass, this call will be raised again and again with increasing emphasis, and that it will come to be taken more and more seriously.