Helping French Jews in a Time of Crisis
In response to a dramatic rise in anti-Semitic and anti-Israel incidents in France over the past several years – including terrorist attacks on a school, synagogue and businesses and, most recently, the taking of hostages and murder of four Jewish men at a Paris kosher supermarket – Israel has seen a sharp increase in inquiries from French Jews seeking to immigrate there.
During the first week following the January 9, 2015 Paris attacks, the Greater Miami Jewish Federation’s overseas partner, The Jewish Agency for Israel, received more than 1,300 phone calls each day from French Jews looking to make aliyah. Previously, The Jewish Agency’s Global Call Center was receiving approximately 400 inquiries on an average day from callers worldwide.
“It’s situations like the one in France that demonstrate the importance of the Federation system and the infrastructure of programs and services supported by the Annual Federation/UJA Campaign,” said Amy N. Dean, Federation’s General Campaign Chair. “Every day, Federation dollars assist with the regular relocation and absorption of Jews from around the world who wish to live in our spiritual homeland. Then, when trouble suddenly erupts in a region and larger numbers of Jews feel the urgent need to seek a safe haven, our system is able to respond quickly and help them.”
The Jewish Agency’s Global Call Center Director, Yossi Leibovitz, reported how his Israel-based staff acted immediately to help panicked French Jews following the Paris attacks – despite snowfall in Jerusalem. The moment the attack took place at the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, “the workers came rushing here… and mobilized to act,” he said. “Of course, we never expected such a huge demand right away. We thought we’d get a small increase, but here, we’ve been flooded with calls, calls we are obligated to help with, to listen to people, help them with their problems and walk them through the aliyah process as smoothly as possible.”
To meet the rising interest for French aliyah, The Jewish Agency has dramatically increased its staffing in both France and Israel, and has conducted numerous aliyah fairs. Klitah (absorption) programs in Israel have been adapted to serve the influx of French Jews, and Masa Israel trips are being offered for larger numbers of French young adults, many of whom are making the decision to remain in Israel. The Jewish Agency is able to do all this, in large measure, with the collective funds it receives annually from the Greater Miami Jewish Federation and federations across North America.
According to The Jewish Agency, 2014 saw a dramatic increase in aliyah from France with the arrival of 7,000 new immigrants, more than double the 3,400 who arrived in 2013 and triple the 1,900 who came in 2012. The French Jewish community is the largest in Europe and the third-largest in the world after Israel and the United States, with some 500,000 Jews. More than 1 percent of the entire French Jewish community immigrated to Israel during 2014 – the largest number of French immigrants in Israel's history and the first time more immigrants came from France than from any other country. Even before the most recent events, Jewish Agency officials had predicted that the increase in French aliyah would continue and that the number of immigrants from France would reach 15,000 in 2015.
In solidarity with the French Jewish community and together with other Jewish communities across the U.S., the Greater Miami Jewish Federation has established the French Jewish Unity Fund. One hundred percent of all donations made to this special fund will be forwarded to The Jewish Agency for Israel, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) and other Federation overseas partners to:
• Support the families of the Jews murdered in Paris and the other victims of the terrorist attacks
• Assist the French Jewish community in meeting the increased security needs of Jewish institutions and schools
• Provide additional funding for the increased aliyah and absorption of French Jews seeking the safety of Israel
If you want to be part of our collective response in providing assistance for Jewish needs in France, please click here.
You may also send a check payable to the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, 4200 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami, FL 33137 with a notation for French Jewish Unity Fund. For personal assistance, please call 305.576.4000, ext. 428.
The Greater Miami Jewish Federation offers unwavering support to the French Jewish community and sends heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims of terror. Please share your personal words of condolence and solidarity with the families by clicking here.
