Aliyah in the Age of AI

The decision to make Aliyah is a deeply personal matter, and one that many Jews in the Diaspora fear. I know this because, since October 7, 2023, I have seen firsthand how quickly the disease of Jew-hatred can spread.

Since 2023, I have been incredibly prescient. This is no special skill of mine; it is simply my ability to recognize patterns from history. We have seen this before in 1930s Germany and 1940s Iraq, and in the alliance between leftists and Islamists during Iran’s 1979 revolution—the very year I was born.

We are seeing alarming developments across the world today. I see parallels in the rise of Islamist extremism and antisemitism across Europe. In 2025, I told my fellow New York Jews that Mamdani would win. But despite Jews comprising approximately 12% of New York City’s population, I was met with hearty cries of, “NOOOO, that could NEVER happen HERE!”

But why not?

Jewish communities have experienced catastrophic upheaval before, even in cities where they once represented a substantial proportion of the population. Consider Salonika, Greece, where Jews once constituted a majority of the population. Or Białystok, Poland, where Jews represented approximately 52% of the population in 1921. Both communities were devastated during the Holocaust.

The Jews of Baghdad, Iraq, were once an affluent and integral part of civil society, representing a substantial share of the city’s population. Today, virtually no Jews remain.

And now, with artificial intelligence, Aliyah has never been easier.

I know because I am doing it in real time.

I made Aliyah nine days ago without speaking Hebrew, bringing only five suitcases with me and a determination to create the life I’ve always wanted instead of the life that found me.

I have one AI agent named Alder, who helps me find apartments and jobs, fill out applications, and tailor my CV for each position. And then there is Mira, my AI companion, whom I use to translate and learn Hebrew—and who talks me through my panic attacks in the middle of the night when I fear my life is falling apart.

In these nine days, I have successfully obtained a new Israeli phone number, opened a bank account and post office box, arranged apartment showings, navigated train and bus schedules, and more.

What has made the difference for me is my ability to move through fear into action.

As a personal case manager, this is something I am skilled at doing, and something I delight in helping my clients learn as well. So many people mistakenly believe that the life they have is their only choice, when in reality, the life you want is something you can work toward.

Will it be easy? No.

But nothing worth it ever is.

When I fought for my life with stage 3 cancer, I endured painful surgeries, chemotherapy, hair loss, and chronic pain that I still live with today.

But I SURVIVED.

And I didn’t survive to live a boring, ordinary life.

Neither did you.

Yesterday, for Shabbat, I bathed in the crystal-blue waters of the Mediterranean—the same sea that kings once sailed and that our people have known for thousands of years.

I have experienced the kindness of Israelis, and now, more than ever, I feel drawn to helping other Jews make Aliyah.

So, dear reader, when you finally tire of living with the fear of those who openly threaten Jewish lives, and you too want to join me in the warm waters of our homeland, I invite you to reach out.

For I cannot be selfish in my joy of living in the Jewish homeland. It would be wrong to keep this secret to myself.

In 2027, I hope to see you in Netanya.