Aliyah Without Barriers
“It became a stereotype, the night watchman with the PhD, the orderly with the MD, the maid with the concert gold medal”, Natan Sharansky once said, reflecting on the Soviet Aliyah. It was an exaggeration, but one that captured a truth: skilled, educated Jews arriving in Israel only to face great underemployment partly due to bureaucratic inefficiency. The reality is that Israel was simply not prepared for such a large influx of Olim. Instead of recognizing and utilizing the talents of doctors, engineers, musicians, and scientists, Israel’s failure to acknowledge their degrees and professional licenses has forced many to start over.
While these Jews had no choice but to accept these conditions, as remaining in their home countries or emigrating elsewhere was simply not an option, today, Jews in the major Diaspora communities tend to live relatively comfortable lives with significant economic opportunities. We are now past the days of the Gulag, we have transitioned from an aliyah of necessity to an aliyah of choice. However, two things have not changed: many Olim are highly skilled and educated, and the Israeli bureaucracy continues to remain an obstacle for potential Olim.
When speaking about immigration, the debate among westerners boils down to the incompatibility of the immigrant with the western values and culture or the fact that many tend to be unskilled. Instead, envision the enthusiasm of western policymakers if they were to anticipate a potential influx of highly skilled immigrants with their same values and similar culture. This utopian idea is actually the reality for Israel.
Let us take the example of French Jewry. Depending on the source, data indicates that between 40 and 70 percent of French Jews have considered leaving France. That is at least 200,000 people. This is largely due to rising antisemitism, a global trend.. Among this community are experienced professionals who could be a significant asset to the Israeli workforce. So why are they reluctant to come? The non-recognition of diplomas in Israel. Merely changing the absorption basket will not incentivize these professionals; free Ulpan won’t do the job either, but providing them easy access to the workforce will! Israel must seize this (unfortunate) opportunity.
Beyond our moral responsibility to open the doors of Israel to all Jews around the world and facilitate their integration, as enshrined in our Declaration of Independence, it is also in Israel’s economic interest to remove these barriers that deter Aliyah. Recognizing foreign diplomas and accepting professional licenses are essential steps. By eliminating barriers to workforce participation and simplifying the aliyah process, Israel can strengthen its appeal as a destination where Jews choose to build their futures, rather than looking elsewhere.
By removing regulatory obstacles, Israel would increase competition in critical sectors such as healthcare, engineering, and technology. This translates to a more talented and efficient workforce. It would also alleviate domestic labor shortages, especially in high-demand fields like medicine, where Israel already faces a growing shortage . Furthermore, higher employment among skilled Olim would boost tax revenues and increase consumer spending, strengthening the economy overall. Israelis should not fear competition but embrace it. Competition drives innovation, raises standards, and ultimately helps society thrive..
But the benefits go beyond economics. A larger Jewish population reinforces the state’s Jewish identity and secures Israel’s demographic future. It also creates opportunities to develop less populated areas like the Negev, where people need to live and build communities. And equally important, the youth and later generations coming from these Olim will serve in the army, helping to meet the growing needs of the IDF.
This is not an abstract idea. We have already seen it is more than possible. Nefesh B’Nefesh, together with the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, recently launched a pilot program aimed at bringing 2,000 doctors to Israel. The initiative includes expediting medical license processing and supporting license conversions and documentation. It is time to expand this to all sectors. Olim are an asset, it’s time to show it.
Organizations like Nefesh B’Nefesh are doing fantastic work to integrate Olim and smooth the process, but they alone are not able to truly raise the numbers of Aliyot. If accompanied with a change in legislation, with an end to the useless bureaucracy, organizations like Nefesh will face even greater demand. Their job? Absorbing hundreds of thousands of Jews coming to Israel.
Aliyah has been a dream for the Jewish world for thousands of years and continues to be a dream for many. We no longer need to keep them dreaming. Israel should encourage Aliyah of choice while always being ready for an Aliyah of need. To do this, it must once and for all break down the barriers standing in the way of aspiring Olim.
