Why Good Intentions About Aliyah Often Backfire, with Rabbi Efrem Goldberg (289)

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Why do some of our most deeply held truths end up pushing people away instead of drawing them closer?

It's a question that comes up in all areas of religious life, but it becomes especially charged when we talk about aliyah. Few topics generate as much passion, and sometimes as much frustration, as the question of whether Jews living outside of Israel should move, and how people who sincerely believe that the answer is yes, should convey that message.

Rabbi Efrem Goldberg argues that we need to carefully consider what we promote, and the way that we promote it. Even when we are right, we can still be ineffective, and sometimes even counterproductive.

In this candid conversation, we examine how aliyah is often promoted, why certain approaches can alienate rather than inspire, and how some of Chazal's tough statements about those who do not make aliya should be interpreted today. We also ask whether there are legitimate reasons not to make aliyah, and what it really means to struggle seriously with that question, and whether someone's Judaism is lacking if he or she fails to consider aliya at all.

From there, we widen the lens to explore a growing disconnect between Israeli and American Jews. We talk about questions of sacrifice, gratitude, and misunderstanding, and how the events of the past two and a half years have reshaped the conversation in ways that many of us are still trying to process.

At its core, this episode asks a simple but difficult question. Do we want to be right, or do we want to be effective?

To read Rabbi Goldberg's article, "Are you trying to inspire... but pushing people away?" click here.

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