If you tell a friend that you are considering moving to Israel, you will no doubt be regarded with a certain bit of skepticism. For many, it ranges from difficult to impossible to imagine living amidst threats of terror, frequent suicide bombings on public transportation, and other threats associated with the Intifada.

However, many find that the reasons to live in Israel far outweigh these possible threats. In a wonderful article on aish.com, Sarah Azulay explains her own reason for making the move to Israel:

“Yet there is no description for the sense of holiness that pervades Israel — despite the traffic, the long lines, the belligerence, affectionately known as “chutzpah.” The Talmud says that “to acquire Israel, you have to suffer.” Isn’t this true of all that is worthwhile, of every milestone which a person accomplishes on his life’s journey? There is a pride that comes from knowing that despite the cultural obstacles, the ongoing terrorist attacks which threaten us, the bureaucratic headaches, you have somehow done it. You made the move; you are privileged to live every day in a land that our recent ancestors could only dream about.

And everything fits so smoothly — you don’t have to explain to anyone what Purim is, esrogs abound before Sukkot, shuls fill many corners, and the opportunities to learn Torah and grow spiritually can almost drown you. There is an endless, engaging energy — a pulse and a grace — that comes from the beat of the nation, a natural proud defiance that we exist in spite of every imaginable obstacle and by the grace of God.”

How can you argue with her points, so eloquently put? What Ms. Azulay points out is that the move to Israel is a spiritual path that one is privileged to travel.

For Jewish parents, the desire to raise their children in a place where they are “normal” and not a minority is strong. In Israel, Judaism is a way of life. And on top of this fact, Israelis are well known for their fierce love of children. Women and men alike are ready to give parental love to your children, and offer plenty of advice on how to raise happy and healthy kids. Israel is a wonderfully supportive place to raise a family.

Over the past few years here in America, as we have experienced a recession, immigration to Israel has increased. Many Jewish American families find that an employment rate that hovers around 10%, along with the increasing costs of healthcare and education, provides ample reasons to seek residence in another country.

According to an article on vosizneias.com (published by the Orthodox Jewish Community) there are actual cash incentives offered by Israel as a way to ease immigration under the country’s Law of Return, which offers automatic citizenship to anyone with at least one Jewish grandparent. The Ministry of Immigrant Absorption provides about $4,000 per adult and about $2,000 per child to these immigrants, paid out over seven months.

Immigrants are also entitled to free education up to the master’s degree level and are customarily granted a 70% to 90% reduction on their property taxes. They also receive discounts and tax waivers on Israeli-made appliances.

When God took Abraham to Canaan and showed him the land, promising it to Abraham’s future generations, he showed Abraham every Jew that was ever to be born. Now, according to legend, when a Jew stands in the exact spot where thousands of years ago Abraham first beheld him, he becomes intimately and eternally bound to the land.

If you have visited Israel, you have no doubt felt this force — a force that inextricably draws you back to the Holy Land and to make it your home.

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