Jewish Federation of Cincinnati

David Harris

Though he’s been in Israel for less than a year, Thibault already feels more at home there than he ever did in his native France.

Though he’s been in Israel for less than a year and is far from his family, Thibault already feels more at home there than he ever did in his native France.

In Paris, he felt like an outcast. Though his grandparents are Holocaust survivors, Thibault grew up in an assimilated household with little connection to the Jewish community. Yet his Jewish last name still left him a target for rising antisemitism. Looking for a new path, he turned to the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati’s partner, the Jewish Agency for Israel.

A New Wave of French Aliyah

Thibault’s story is one of many from a Jewish community at a historic crossroads. Antisemitic incidents are increasing and the economy is stagnant. For Thibault and many other French olim, the January 2015 Paris terror attack on a kosher supermarket was the final straw. “That was it,” he said. “I knew I had to make a change.”

In 2014, 7,000 French Jews made aliyah—a 120 percent increase from the previous year. About 9,000 came in 2015, and about 5,000 are expected by the end of 2016.

The Jewish Agency assisted every step of the way, from offering pre-departure counseling and arranging his travel to providing him with temporary housing, Hebrew courses, and more to jumpstart life in his new home.

Building a New Home Together

Thibault now lives in a Jewish Agency-run absorption center near Tel Aviv. He’s surrounded by fellow young French Jews eager to begin new lives while trying to adjust to their new language, culture, and reality. It’s a diverse and supportive community that—with your support through the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati—is growing stronger every day.

STATISTICS: 

• 7,000 French Jews made aliyah in 2014; 9,000 in 2015; 5,000 expected in 2016
• 13,000 prospective olim attended Jewish Agency-sponsored aliyah fairs in France in 2014
• 130% increase in anti-Semitic incidents in France from 2013-2014

The Jewish Agency for Israel is one of over fifty programs and agencies funded in part by the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati.

The Jewish Federation of Cincinnati: We look at the whole picture, taking into account the diverse needs of the entire community. Together we can do almost anything.
 
Thanks to you and the help of our parter agencies, Thibault is supported in every way as he makes aliyah to Israel.