Background:

Difficulties:

Those who made aliya at the turn of the 20th century encountered many difficulties.  These include: 

-Ottoman Empire, and later the British Mandate

-Restrictions on numbers of Jews coming into Palestine.

-Where to live?  Must start a Kibbutz or a Moshav, because no city life. Because of this they had to start their settlements from the beginning, dealing with how to rid themselves of the swamps, planting food to eat and where to get food until they have a sufficient amount growing.  

- Protection against the Arabs and Bedouins, primarily in the new settlements.

- Had to deal with Zionist propaganda. If a person made aliya then, at the turn of the 20th century, s/he did it because s/he really idealistically believed in it.  They also saw it as making their own situations better than what they had to deal with in the "Old Country".

Those who are making aliya today, at the turn of the 21st century also find it difficult, but in a very different way.  The difficulties today's Jews find in making aliya include:

- The Arab-Israeli Conflict, or more precisely the Palestinian- Israeli conflict.  A person today does not want to make aliya just to be removed from his/her home within the next few years.

- The army.  Nobody wants to send their children to the army and have the possibility of them being killed.  Israel's army is a mandatory draft, as oppose to most other countries today, like the USA, who's armies are volunteer.

-Expenses.  Land in Israel (that is not being discussed in the Peace process) is very expensive, as is buying a house or an apartment.  However much you pay in Israel for an apartment you could have gotten one double the size in the N. America.  Clothing and food are also more expensive.

-Jobs.  In order to find a job in Israel you must be a skilled laborer. If a person what's to do something other than high tech it is often difficult to find.

-The language.  Israel has become a State with a language.  Like moving to any country where they speak a foreign language it is difficult so too moving to Israel.  (Hebrew can be learned and is not hard, once you've gotten the hang of it.)

Peula:

If the group is very large and you have more than one madrich/a per group split the kvutza in half.  Make sure that each chanich gets a character and no one is sitting on the side just watching.  If there are more characters than groups, take anyone of them out, it doesn't make any difference which. 

Give to each chanich or chanicha a card with a certain charachter and "tid bit" on it.  Tell the chanichim the following scenario. After the scenario have the chanichim decide whether or not Leora should make aliya.

Make  sure they share the information on their cards with the rest of the kvutza.  Have the chanichim "become" their characters.  You the madrich, do not play a part yourself.  Remain the moderator.  Be creative, if they go to far in one direction, are all agreeing on one point, moving to fast, add a new twist to the story.  See what each character has to say.

Scenario:  Leora is 18 years old.  Her parents have sent her to Bnei Akiva schools and youth groups and taken her on trips to Israel.  Now that Leora has finished high school, she wants to make aliya.  Her plan is to attend college in Israel and mostly support herself (declaring aliya, saving accounts, getting a job, etc).  However, her parents do not want her to go.

(New twists and possiblities:

1.      Leora doesn't plan to go to college at all.  She wants to move on to a kibbutz right away and work with the cows.

2.      Leora expects major financial support from her parents for this move.

3.   Leora has relatives (aunt, grandparents) who are living in Israel and can't wait for her to join them!)

Characters and tid bits on cards:

Leora - You see aliya as the climax of the ideals you were brought up with and you believe that there is no future for Am Yisrael in Chutz La'aretz.

Eileen - You are Leora's mother.  You believe that Israel is important, of course, that is how you raised your daughter, but your Leora is young and you don't think she is ready to take care of herself and to be so far away.  What will she do if she gets sick?

Saul - You are Leora's father.  You are extremely proud of your daughter who had straight As in school and did superbly on her SATs.  You think she should take advantage of this and attend a good college in N. America and get a quality education.  After that she can go to Israel if she likes, though she would have an easier time getting a well paid job in N. America.

Aviva - You are Leora's best friend who has volunteered with her at the local age home for the past few summers.  You think that Leora's Zionist dreams are selfish because she can, and does, contribute so much to her community at home.  More than she can to a new, unknown community in Israel, while she is a young foreigner.  Besides, being a young foreigner who is all alone, she will be a drain on that community.

Ari - You are Leora's friend who just spent a year in Israel learning. You think that the atmosphere of Kedusha and tahara in Eretz Yisrael, Eretz HaKadosh, will be conducive to Leora's spiritual well being.

Jessica - You are Leora's cousin and a few years older than her.  You go to a secular college and a few of your friends from your Jewish religious high school are dating non-Jews.  You are leaving chutz La'aretz as soon aas you graduate and you think it is simply a religiously dangerous place to be.

Ofir - You are Leora's boyfriend, and Israeli.  Your family came on shlichut to N. America a few years back, and that is when you met Leora. You want Leora to come to Israel and attend college there because you think that that will be more productive to her in the long run of fitting into Israeli society.  You also wouldn't mind her being there for you to see when you are on chofesh from the army.

Temima - You are Leora's 10 year old sister.  You see Leora's dreams being questioned by your family and you are confused.  You always thought that your parents wanted you to believe that Israel was the place to be.  You think Leora should make aliya right away because that is what she believes in and that will pave the way for you when you are old enough to make aliya.  Besides, that means more trips to Israel!