I don't understand what made your brother abandon his homeland, his family and friends to become a resident of a country where he is at best a second class citizen. If he was fleeing persecution in the Soviet Union, or escaping from a dictatorship, or determined to have some chance of economic success because he had been trapped in a country with no economic future, I could understand that. Especially if he had been unable to get into America. But turning his back on a land of unmatched freedom and opportunity, a superpower with a proud Jewish community that goes back over three and a half centuries, the center of progressive Judaism -- I don't understand what could make a person do that.

Perhaps he never got to see his own country, to visit the 50 states, to meet the people and visit the natural and manmade wonders. Perhaps he has not lived in such a hostile climate as the Middle East and has no idea of what life there is really like. Like I said, I just don't understand.

It is not surprising that M.B. does not understand your brother's decision to make aliyah. After all, there is not very much that M.B. does understand.

Without knowing your brother, we know that he is going TO his homeland, to be with friends and family, even if the family is not of his closest blood. Nor will he be a second class citizen, even if he a dual citizen.

May his aliyah and his service in the IDF bring him shlemut (fulfillment) and hatzlacha (success.)

It is sad that M.B. is so wrapped up in the American flag, and apparently still so fearful of accusations of dual loyalty, that the core message that we are part of a triad of God, the Jewish people, and the land if Israel escapes him. How sad to be so self-hating, to know so much and understand so little, and to be unable to recognize that people can make good decisons for themselves that are different from those that others make.

Joseph:
2nd Class Citizen: A reference to the denial of basic rights for Reform and Conservative Jews in Israel. As you know, Israeli Reform rabbis are not even recognized by the "Jewish state" as rabbis there, not able to perform marriages or conversion, etc. Islamic clergy and Christian clergy have more rights there. Reform and Conservative Jews are denied equal school subsidies as Orthodox and Hassidic Jews. Other government funding is monopolized by Orthodox and Hassidic groups. Reform Jews are a tiny minority in Israel, in part because of government discrimination and Orthodox hostility.

Not our homeland: Americans have our own homeland, the USA, where we are full citizens and our religious liberty is guaranteed by Bill of Rights (which Israel lacks). America is the cradle of Reform Judaism and the home of the largest and most successful community of progressive Jews, although there are many other strong progressive Jewish communities around the world (Canada, the U.K., France, Australia, South America, etc.) American Zionists and non-Zionists were in general agreement about one thing in working for the Balfour Declaration and supporting Jewish settlement in Israel and Palestine, that was to be one of many homelands for Jews. Americans would remain loyal citizens of their own homelands, as would British Jews, French Jews, Canadian Jews, etc. Israel was to be one option, especially for those Jews who were denied equal rights in the countries where they lived as in Czarist Russia, the USSR, Romania, Nazi Germany, etc. Neither American Zionist leaders (like Brandeis, who was also elected to head world Zionism) or Reform leaders wanted American Jews to pull up stakes and move to the Middle East.

If he wanted to serve the cause of freedom, he has ample opportunity to do so in the American Armed Forces at a time when our troops are engaged in combat in Operation Enduring Freedom along with NATO forces in Afghanistan and in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Maybe that's what the emigrant in question did. I have known of an American doing his duty by serving in the U.S. military and then in the Israeli IDF before returning home to America.

Emigrating is different than going abroad temporarily to work or study or visit.

Ruth: Israel is not the ultimate expression of Jewishness. No country has provided a better place to live as a Jew than America. Although I know there are Aussies, Canadians, Brits and others who disagree, I think America is the very best place to live a Jewish life. There are historical ties that all Jews have to Israel, but we have ties to other places we have lived as well. America offers people of all faiths complete freedom of religion, and guarantees a separation of religion and state. The lack of separation of religion and state in Israel has corrupted both. Now we have petty bureaucrats in Israel who are not Reform Jews deciding who is a Jew, whose conversion is good enough, and other religious questions. They have not only failed to recognize or admit Reform and Conservative Jews, but also Orthodox Jews. Americans live in a friendly Judeo-Christian culture that is becoming increasingly pluralistic. Israel has a Judeo-Atheist-Arabic culture that is increasingly divided and tribal.

People have been voting with their feet. There have always been far more people immigrating to the United States from Israel than to Israel from the USA.

The Jewish religion is about how you live, not where you live. It's about being able to practice our religion freely, not being a majority imposing our religious beliefs on others.

If you husband wants someone to wish him a happy holiday, he can find that in places across this great land. Every year we are wished a Happy Hanuka, a Happy Passover, a Happy New Year by not only Jews, but by Protestants, Catholics, and people of other faiths.

My alegance has been pledged to the United States of America. I still cannot imagine going back on that pledge.