We Were Like Dreamers
- Gedaliah Borvick
- 14 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Recently, I attended a bris in Efrat and parked my car on Shivat Tzion Street. This seemingly mundane moment, which could have taken place in any number of cities across Israel, as the street name Shivat Tzion is ubiquitous, led me to reflect on a powerful phenomenon we have been witnessing: the surge of interest from Jews living abroad to reconnect with Israel.
Shivat Tzion, meaning "Return to Zion," draws upon the powerful biblical narrative of the Jewish people’s return to Israel from Babylonian exile and the rebuilding of the Second Temple. The phrase originates from Psalms 126, a chapter recited before Birkat Hamazon on Shabbat and joyous occasions, celebrating the joyous return to Zion.
The historical and spiritual weight of this phrase has transcended generations, and has found new meaning in multiple modern contexts. For instance, many streets in Israel are named to honor ships that played critical roles in the clandestine Aliyah Bet operations before, during, and after the Holocaust. One such ship was the Shivat Tzion, which in 1947 unsuccessfully attempted to evade the British Naval Forces and bring 411 Jewish refugees to Eretz Yisrael. Today, the spirit of Shivat Tzion lives on, not only in street names but also through the wonderful organization Shivat Tzion that assists olim from Western Europe, the UK and Latin America.
Since October 7th, we have seen a notable increase in Jews from abroad seeking to return to Israel. While they represent a relatively small fraction of the Jewish diaspora, the numbers are significant enough to suggest that we may be witnessing a pivotal moment in Jewish history.
What stands out is the wide-ranging diversity of those people who have reached out, such as rabbinic leaders, medical professionals, MBAs, PhDs, and high-tech people. Similarly, the age range is broad, and includes singles, young families, mid-lifers and retirees. Finally, their goals are varied, ranging from buying a permanent home to move into, to purchasing a holiday apartment, to making an investment, to having an "anchor" in Israel for their family. Whatever the motive, many Jews worldwide are yearning to get a “piece of the rock.”
What’s driving most people’s decisions is the rise of antisemitism in formerly safe places like the U.S. and Canada – something many thought they’d never witness in their lifetime. Perhaps more upsetting than the repulsive anti-Israel demonstrations has been the world’s response, or lack of response, to these rallies and to Hamas’ unspeakable atrocities. In response to these actions and global reactions, many grandchildren of Holocaust survivors have shared with me their grandparents’ harrowing words, “I have seen this before. Get out of this country and move to Israel.”
These grandchildren have explained their grandparents’ belief that, unlike previous periods of discomfort where tensions eventually subsided, this time might be different. Once antisemitism is exposed, it cannot easily be masked again. At best, it will lurk just beneath the surface; at worst, it will manifest itself in old and new ways.
Thankfully, this story has a promising ending. For the first time in 2,000 years, we have a sovereign State of Israel and a military to protect us. Unlike in the past, Israel's borders are wide open to welcome Jews back to their homeland from all four corners of the earth. Here, in the land where our two temples once stood and where the third and eternal temple will be built, Jews have a safe haven. This reality is nothing short of miraculous, and we eagerly await the opportunity to welcome all Jews with open arms.
Gedaliah Borvick is the founder of My Israel Home, a real estate agency focused on helping people from abroad buy and sell homes in Israel. To sign up for his monthly market updates, contact him at gborvick@gmail.com. Please visit his blog at www.myisraelhome.com.
