Why more South Africans are making aliyah

GILLIAN KLAWANSKY

The aliyah figures are testament to this way of thinking, with 70 South Africans making aliyah between January and February 2019, 20% more than the same period last year.

While Liat Amar Arran, the director of the Israel Centre South Africa says that aliyah figures have stayed relatively steady over the past three years, at about 350, this year seems to be different.

“There are diverse reasons for this,” she says. “Often older people have kids who’ve made aliyah already, and they wish to join them and be with the grandchildren. Sometimes couples have kids who have just finished matric, and they feel it’s time to make this choice.

“People here love Israel. This is a very Zionist community, and people feel connected to Israel. Big South African communities are also already living in Israel, and help with the absorption process.”

Immigrating to be with children and grandchildren is certainly a motivating factor for Leibowitz. “My daughter and son-in-law are moving, so we’re going too,” she says. “I’ve always been keen on moving. Basically, I don’t think there’s a future here for [my] grandchildren. My grandchildren are eight and five, and there’s very little chance of them getting anything here in the future.”

Leibowitz is unsure whether things will come right. In the meantime, the cost of living is prohibitive. “It’s just becoming increasingly expensive to live. You have to pay for private medical aid, private security, private schools, private everything. You’re not getting anything for your tax money.

“What happened with Zuma and co is an absolute disaster politically, and I feel that the DA [Democratic Alliance] lost the plot too. There’s no real leadership in the country. Cyril’s great, but his hands are tied so I can’t see anything coming together, definitely not in the short-term.

“Both my daughter and son-in-law have a masters in chemical engineering. He’s a systems engineer, she’s chemical, and there’s no industry in South Africa for her. She’d really like to get back into engineering and make a difference. She can find jobs in Israel that will allow her to do that. There are so many more opportunities there. Things are happening, there’s a buzz. It’s a hard life, but anywhere else you go will be hard. You don’t have all the help that you have here, but working towards making a difference makes it worthwhile.

“I don’t think it’ll be hard to leave what we’ve built here, as we’re basically taking whatever we’ve got with us,” she says. “I downsized a few years ago when we moved up to Joburg from Durban, and now I’m downsizing even more. It’s actually quite cathartic to get rid of the things hanging around you.”

Michelle* is less enthusiastic about leaving South Africa, but feels that Israel has a lot to offer. “I know the grass won’t be greener on the other side, but there’s a different kind of freedom in Israel,” she says. While she feels a bit pressurised to leave by her husband – and by her two children who are already living and studying in Israel – she points out that things aren’t great in South Africa. “I’m increasingly seeing the red tape in this country, the ‘I couldn’t care less attitude’,” she says. “If you want something from a government or municipal department, you just sit and wait. We’re still waiting for our unabridged marriage certificate from Home Affairs.”

Her husband, Cyril, is filled with excitement about their impending move. “I just love Israel,” he says. “I got it from my dad, who lived on a kibbutz when he was in Israel. It’s not just holy, it’s exciting, it’s interesting, it’s special. It doesn’t matter how difficult things are, there’s no other country like it. I’ve always wanted to go. We were supposed to have gone about five times already, and something always got in the way. At last, it’s happening.”

Cyril looks forward to further exploring Israel’s sights and history, and to immersing himself in technological development where his passion lies. “I’ll also study more Hebrew and Torah,” he says. “I want to build up the country, and do good for Jews in Israel.”

Reuben Moss* and his wife are newly married, and are planning to move to Israel in June. Reuben will continue to run his South African business remotely, and isn’t sure if the move will be forever. Yet, he feels a strong call to Israel.

“Feeling like you’re part of something is a big motivator for me,” he says. “In South Africa, I feel like a cog in a big machine. I don’t know if Israel will feel different, but just being Jewish and being in that kind of setup is exciting. There’s so much going on, the economy’s booming, the tech world is growing, which is the way of the future. I want to future proof my skills there, and to network in the tech field.”

Moss is also a strong Zionist. “My great grandmother came from Tzvat, and she always wanted to go back. My mom also briefly lived in Israel as a child in the 60s. There’s always been a draw towards Israel for me, to somehow contribute to building the country. Please G-d, when my wife and I have kids, they’ll be Israeli citizens, which gives them options beyond South Africa. For a Jew, Israel is a more meaningful immigration destination than other countries. There’s something special about Israel that other places just don’t capture. The location also makes the rest of the world more accessible. It’s an eclectic melting pot, and we want to be part of that. I think South Africa used to feel a lot like that, but now it feels like the ‘rainbow nation’ was more of an idea than a reality.”

Moss says he’s concerned about leaving behind family and laughter. “I think South Africans laugh quite a lot – the sense of humour is really good here. But there’s just an energy in Israel. It would be foolish as a Jew not to take the chance to experience that.”

With recent changes to the Israel Centre, making aliyah is now a more streamlined process, says Amar Arran. “Half of the process is now online, which means people can do it from home. Only once all the questionnaires have been completed and relevant documents uploaded do candidates meet with us at the centre. It is now completely focused on customer service and on personalisation. Everyone should get the best service, especially through this huge transition. I’m here to help. Israel belongs to all of us.”

* Names have been changed.