Kibbutz Galuyot קִבּוּץ גָּלֻיּוֹת Ingathering of Exiles to Israel © Behrman House/Babaganewz עולה חדש

The longing of Jews to return to Israel has helped us retain a Jewish identity throughout the centuries of exile in other lands. Millions of Jews from scores of countries have immigrated to Israel and made it their home. The aliyah (immigration to Israel) of Jews from all over the world has transformed Israel. Jews remain in the Diaspora, but retain a strong spiritual connection to Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people. © 2011 Behrman House/Babaganewz

How has our connection to the land of Israel united the Jewish people throughout the history of the Diaspora? What are some reasons Jews make aliyah (immigrate to Israel)? What are some factors that hold them back? What other ways can we connect to Israel without making aliyah? © 2011 Behrman House/Babaganewz

God Promises Kibbutz Galuyot Thus says God our God: Behold, I will take the Children of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land; and I will make them one nation in the land, upon the mountains of Israel. (Ezekiel 37:21-22) © 2011 Behrman House/Babaganewz What does God promise? Why? Why does God specify “their own land”? Why isn’t it enough for all Jews to be together in someone else’s land, like the U.S.? How will God make us one nation? What challenges may arise in making us one nation?

Prayer for Kibbutz Galuyot “And gather us together from the four corners of the earth.” (Weekday Amidah) Why is it important to pray every day, three times a day, for kibbutz galuyot? How could saying this prayer affect how you feel about living in the Diaspora and your connection to Israel? Can you say this prayer without wanting to move to Israel? Why or why not? © 2011 Behrman House/Babaganewz

Connecting to Israel in the Diaspora “My heart is in the East, but I am at the end of the West.” (Rabbi Yehudah HaLevi) What does Rabbi Yehuah HaLevi refer to when he says “the East” and “the West”? How do you think it feels for your heart to be one place and your body to be another place? How would someone act if their heart is in Israel even though they are in the Diaspora? © 2011 Behrman House/Babaganewz

Kibbutz Galuyot in the State of Israel “The State of Israel will be open for Jewish immigration and for the Ingathering of the Exiles.” (from Israel’s Declaration of Independence) Why was kibbutz galuyot so important to Israel’s founders that they included it in the Declaration of Independence? How has Israel worked toward kibbutz galuyot throughout its history? © 2011 Behrman House/Babaganewz

What do these pictures have to do with ingathering of exiles? © 2011 Behrman House/Babaganewz

Watch: © 2011 Behrman House/Babaganewz

Why was it so important to the State of Israel to bring the Ethiopian Jews to Israel? How do you think the Ethiopian Jews felt as they made aliyah to Israel? What difficulties do you think the Ethiopian Jews encountered once they arrived in Israel? What challenges has Israel faced in working toward kibbutz galuyot? © 2011 Behrman House/Babaganewz

Imagine that you are making aliyah tomorrow. Write a first-person journal entry describing how you feel.  How do you feel about leaving behind the life you know?  What are your hopes and fears for the future? You can write from your own perspective, as an American in 2011, or do some research and write about a fictional historical character making aliyah from a particular country at a particular point in time (Babylonian Jew in 459 BCE, Russian in 1909, Ethiopian in 1991, etc.). © 2011 Behrman House/Babaganewz