The Israeli Americans

The Israeli American Council Signals the Comming of Age of this Binational Community

By Lynn Wexler

I t’s hard to find accurate data on the number of Israelis living in the U.S. �e Israeli government is slow to release this informa-tion – perhaps because precise numbers don’t exist. Estimates,

depending on calculation methods, are that 500,000 to 800,000 Israe-lis call the U.S. home. Supposedly, 10,000 of them live, work and raise families in Las Vegas.

One thing seems certain: �e success of many Israeli-Americans appears to support the immigrant notion that if you dare to dream and work hard you can make it in the United States. �ey demonstrate determination, and with their many accomplishments, contribute sig-nificantly to the country that provides them the opportunity.

Reasons cited for Israeli immigration include relief from economic constraints, the chance for academic or professional advancement and security due to the distance from the Arab-Israeli and Palestinian con-flicts. Otherwise, they love and remain loyal to their homeland, miss their families and go back to visit as often as possible.

Ayelet Blit, an Israel-born Jewish educator, moved to the U.S. with her husband 24 years ago. �eir two sons were born here.

“We didn’t move to escape. We love our country… we served in the military and many of our children return voluntarily to serve,” she says. “While embracing the American ideal, and appreciating the op-portunities here, we do not want to lose our Israeli identity.”

Until recently, however, Israeli-Americans personified a failure of the Zionist cause. �e derogatory connotation of yordim (Hebrew for those going down or leaving Israel) prompted a sense of guilt and betrayal. It prevented many Israelis from declaring themselves perma-nent U.S. citizens.

“For as long as there’s been an Israel, there’s been an Israeli dias-pora, where American Jews have treated expatriates as something less than full members of the Tribe, troubled by what their departure from Israel might mean,” says Liel Leibovitz, author of Aliya and an expatri-ate Israeli living in the U.S. “After all, Israelis live in a country where, for the first time in centuries, Jews are relieved of exile.”

Today, that negative image has diminished for the most part. Israe-lis who move to the U.S. are a fact of life and are accepted by American Jews. In part, this is due to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recognition of the Israeli citizens who have emigrated, and the impor-tance of fostering their connections to the homeland. Netanyahu lived in the U.S for 16 years, graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and worked for a Boston consulting group.

Israeli-Americans, on average, have enjoyed a softer transition to American life than other immigrant groups. �ey arrive educated or in possession of specialized job skills, often the result of mandatory service and training in the army. In short order, they attain a relative degree of financial security and begin making contributions where they live.

Still, those who become naturalized often participate only in Israeli cultural events, and subscribe to Israeli network television for news, entertainment and sports.

“It’s complicated,” says Yael Miller, a U.S. native whose Israeli par-ents live in the U.S.

�e recent Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced Inter-national Studies graduate grew up amid the misunderstandings, and sometimes-tense interactions, between the two communities.

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“American multiculturalism baffles Israelis,” he says. “Israel is, by definition, a multicultural state. But religiously it is homogeneous, as contrasted to the melting pot of religions, ethnicities and races that characterize the U.S. �ey are not used to seeing fellow Jews with so many non-Jewish friends.”

�e many brands of Jewish religious observance also confuse some Israelis. In Israel — this is beginning to change — one is either reli-gious or not. Women wearing a kippah, for instance (a head covering generally accorded only to men) can present a jarring image.

Zionism is a sensitive subject as well. Many don’t understand how American Jews can be so devoted to Israel, their shared homeland, yet do not make aliyah, or immigration to Israel, at least to help fight the Jewish state’s constant battles.

“�ey also don’t understand American Jews’ often staunch criticism of Israel,” Miller says. “Israelis live with having lost friends and family to either terrorism or war while protecting their mutual homeland.”

Political incorrectness by many Israelis is incomprehensible to American Jews. Israelis will joke about racism, the Holocaust, or even terrorist attacks, a means of coping with life under continuous exis-tential threats.

Finally, Israeli-Americans do not take no for an answer: not because they disrespect process, but because they can’t afford the alternatives. Faced with life-threatening problems daily, taking risks and finding answers – quickly and efficiently – is part of the Israeli DNA.

“For American Jews the resulting demeanor is viewed as rude and offensive. Israelis view Americans as too polite, indirect, and burdened by method when tasked with getting the job done!” says Amir Eden, an Israel-born Jewish educator and community activist who lives in the U.S. and is regional director of the Israeli American Council.

“Understanding these differences and bridging the cultural divide,” he says, “is one of the IAC’s directives as a relatively new organization.”

“�e Israeli-American and Jewish communities are inextricably intertwined. �e IAC understands the need to engender better under-standing between the two, to mend any rifts that might separate us,” Eden says.

Founded in Los Angeles in 2007 as the Israeli Leadership Council by a group of successful Israeli-American businessmen, the name was changed in 2013. �e IAC name recognizes the need to emphasize and incorporate the American identity of this immigrant population. It also indicates the group’s increased comfort with its dual identity.

�e IAC underwent dramatic development and expansion in 2013 when hotel/casino magnate, philanthropist and conservative politi-cal donor Sheldon Adelson agreed to put up a reported $10 million to fund the organization.

Within seven years, the IAC had centers in Boston (Adelson’s birth-place), New York, New Jersey, Miami and Las Vegas, where Israeli born Dr. Miriam Adelson (the billionaire’s wife of 26 years) chairs the local organization. Plans are afoot nationally to expand to Philadel-

Israel Independence Day Celebrations 2014. Top Left: Amir Eden, regional director of the Israel American Council.

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phia, Washington, D.C., and Phoenix.“�e Israeli-American Council is changing the landscape of the Jew-

ish community in America through the full spectrum of educational, cultural, traditional and social programming,” says Dr. Adelson. “We are always thinking of strengthening the Jewish and Israeli identity of future generations and reinforcing their support for Israel.”

By 2012, the IAC boasted more than 50,000 members, up from 3,500 in 2010. �at number is now considerably larger. Most of the growth, says IAC National Board Chair Shawn Evenhaim, can be at-tributed to IAC’s major projects.

In Los Angeles they took control of the citywide Celebrate Israel Festival (also known as the Israel Independence Day Celebration) that draws upward of 15,000 attendees. Typically the Las Vegas festival has drawn slightly more than 2,000.

�e number of festivalgoers in Las Vegas, says Eden, will increase significantly now that plans for 2015 have been formulated, taking it to a large park, open to the entire Las Vegas community. Previously it was held indoors at the Sands Convention Center.

In 2012 the IAC founded Sifriyat Pijama B’America (Pajama Library), a program that distributes free Hebrew language children’s books to more than 2,000 families, reaching an estimated 17,000 people.

Mishelanu (from ourselves) is program that prepares student lead-ers on college campuses to speak on issues pertaining to Israel; and Tzav 8 (known in Israel as an emergency call to reservist military ser-

vice), helps individuals participate in pro-Israel demonstrations and activities.

Evenhaim, and others in the IAC, believe Israeli-Americans should continue to advocate for Israel. Some Israeli-Americans believe they have already paid homage to Israel by serving in the IDF. But IAC lead-ers insist that such service should be ongoing, part of the émigrés’’ miluim (reserve duty).

�is past November the IAC held its first national conference in Washington, D.C. More than 700 mostly expatriate Israelis attended the sold-out event styled �e Israeli-American Community: A Strate-gic Asset for the Future.

�e conference hosted Gilad Erdan, Israel’s Minister of Communica-tions and Homefront Protection; Yitzhak “Buji” Herzog, Israel’s leader of the opposition; Dan Gillerman, Israel’s former U.N. ambassador; Dr. Anat Berko, Israeli National Security Council member and terror-ism expert; high-tech entrepreneur Yossi Vardi; Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.; Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla.; former Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn.; Ron Dermer, Israel’s ambassador to the U.S.; Ron Prosor, Israel’s repre-sentative to the U.N. and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

Sessions in English and Hebrew were held throughout the two-day conference on topics including �e Power of Israeli-Americans in Social Media, �e Israel-American Dream and �e Israeli-American Double Identity.

IAC leaders rejected all attempts to brand the organization

Israeli pop star, Shalom Hanoch concert, 2014. Bottom Left: Shalom Hanoch with Dr. Miriam Adelson, Las Vegas Chair, Israel American Council.

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politically. Billionaire Adelson, a key GOP funder, and Haim Saban, a top Democratic supporter, are both major backers of the IAC. They agreed that the Israeli-American community is poised to rally for Israel, the U.S.-Israel relationship and the Jewish future.

“Everyone in this room, whether you’re a Republican, a Dem-ocrat or Independent … when it comes to Israel, we’re on the same side,” Adelson declared.

Eden says the IAC “has brought magic to our community, be-yond its efforts toward American-Israelis and American Jews. For example, the family whose father had cancer … we quietly helped them with financial support, meals and drivers. The sin-gle mom who had to sell her furniture to buy expensive cancer medications for her 11-year-old son … we made sure they got new furniture and financial help. The IAC also places a priority on its partnerships with all Zionist Jewish organizations.”

After accepting his IAC position, Eden met with Jewish Fed-eration of Las Vegas President & CEO Elliot Karp. “We had a constructive conversation, I made it clear that I have had the honor of serving the Jewish people for many years, and that my intention was to see the Israeli American and Jewish Communi-ties come together and thrive in Las Vegas.”

For Karp, he welcomes the presence of the IAC in Las Vegas. The Jewish Federation’s vision has always been to see More

Jews Doing Jewish. “Both the IAC and the Federation,” Karp says, “are committed to creating vibrant Jewish life in Las Ve-gas, while doing all we can to support Israel and Jews in the diaspora, thus ensuring that the bonds of friendship between Israel and Las Vegas remain strong.”

Eden recognizes that there are differences between the com-munities’ approaches.“We are bulldozers,” he said. “We work as Israelis do – fast and efficient.”

As IAC director, he said he often hears “This is how we do it” when he presents news ideas to other groups. “We are a new organization and enjoy bringing new ways to the table.”

“Israelis are used to living on the edge,” he continued. “Most Israelis serve two or more years in the IDF. These experiences contribute to an added level of maturity, responsibility, compe-tency under pressure and ingenuity.

“At the end of the day, however, we are one people, one fami-ly. Just like the unity we felt at the IAC conference, irrespective of political differences, the IAC provides programs that serve all members of our Jewish community and the Jewish state.”

With help from the IAC, American Jews and their Israeli-American counterparts are beginning to focus more on their common bonds (modern members of an ancient community) rather than their differences (divided, based on geographic birthplace).

Back to School and Hanukkah celebrations 2014

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