October 7 was the worst massacre of the Jews since the Holocaust. Since that tragic day, Hamas has been firing thousands of rockets at Israel. Now, the IDF is facing a dangerous battle on the ground in Gaza that will likely last for several months.
And yet, despite all this devastating news coming out of the Jewish homeland, so many of us are asking, “Should we move to Israel?”
I think this every morning when I wake up and see another case of antisemitism on a college campus, or pro-Hamas protestors shutting down highways and bridges or another foiled terrorist plot to blow up a synagogue in the United States. I am terrified to be a Jew here right now.
When I first moved to Los Angeles in 2012, I felt totally comfortable being openly Jewish. These days, especially after Oct. 7, I will only wear my head covering, my tichel, in Jewish neighborhoods. My husband Daniel covers his kippah with a baseball hat. As a mother of two daughters, I can’t risk being targeted. I’m devastated that America has come to this, but it doesn’t surprise me at all.
A major problem is that Americans are becoming less and less religious; Gen Z is the nation’s least religious generation, according to Pew Research. Jews are a source of spirituality and holiness in the world and our mission is to spread Hashem’s light and love. Godless people aren’t going to respect us at the very least, and in the worst case scenario, they will actively try to harm us.
At the same time that the younger generation is turning away from God, it’s also moving more towards wokeism, their new religion. Wokeism wrongly posits that Jews are oppressors because many of us are successful, and some of us are light-skinned. Therefore, if anybody is hateful towards us, it’s OK, especially if they come from one of the more “oppressed” classes. This racist ideology has taken over college campuses and led to Jewish students hiding in libraries and shielding themselves from angry mobs while walking to class.
This misguided generation is going to be entering the government soon enough and making their hateful ideas into law. I fear that “the Squad” is just a taste of what’s to come.
There is also an economic storm brewing, with high inflation, astronomical gas prices and an American dream that is becoming less and less attainable; 30-year fixed-rate mortgages have more than doubled over the past three years, going from 3.72% to 8%.
If you study history, it’s clear that the Jews are always the scapegoat for bad times. Remember how we supposedly started the Bubonic Plague and were apparently responsible for all of Germany’s failings?
Personally, I’m not sure if I want to stick around to see what happens. But I also don’t want to feel like I’m escaping to Israel.
There is a good argument to be made that we should stay the course and try to fix things because if we leave, the antisemites win.
As someone told me, you have to make aliyah because you want to run towards Israel – not run away from where you live. There is also a good argument to be made that we should stay the course and try to fix things because if we leave, the antisemites win.
I love America, and it hurts deeply to see how so many people are trying to ruin our beautiful country. It has been an incredible home for the Jews for so many years and an inspirational melting pot where people can freely practice their religion and pursue meaning.
I never thought a time would come when I’d feel like I’d have to leave. If I do leave, I want it to be for a good reason: because Israel needs me, and I can contribute more there than I can here. I feel like my work here is not done, but I’m open to any possibilities and ready to go if I have to.
For now, I am going to keep giving back to my community, showing respect, love and kindness towards my fellow Americans and spreading light however I can. I know that’s my mission for this moment, and I won’t give up on trying to fulfill it.
Have you considered making aliyah? Email me your thoughts: Kylieol@JewishJournal.com.
Kylie Ora Lobell is the Community Editor of the Jewish Journal.
