Book on Aliyah to be Released in Georgian

A book dedicated to Aliyah will be released in December in the Georgian language. ‘Penetrating the Soviet Union’ reflects previously unknown facts about one of the most significant events in the contemporary history of Israel: Aliyah. The historical narratives presented in the book are based on the stories of direct witnesses and participants of the processes of that time.

The memoirs of a person who, at the age of 29, managed to go beyond ‘the Iron Curtain’, reach the USSR, prepare the grounds for Aliyah and produce such an environ, which remains the primary bond of Israel with the post-Soviet states today, make the description of the origins and development of Aliyah in this region even more interesting and intriguing. That person is Itsik Moshe, President of the Israel-Georgia Chamber of Business and the founder and Chair of Israeli House.

The book informs readers about the role of Georgia in the inception of Aliyah, how the first Sokhnut (Jewish Agency for Israel, JAFI) representation was created within the USSR, and the impact it had on the development of the Hasbara Fellowship. The book will give the opportunity for Georgian booklovers to discover more about the surrounding events and the solicitude of people towards their country within and beyond its borders which often constituted swimming against the tides, extraordinary acts and even coercive diplomacy. But in the end, all were triggered by an interminable and unconditional love for the motherland.

One part of the edition is dedicated to the activities of ‘Israeli House’. The actions of this organization in its pilot country, Georgia, have been diverse and include the lobbying of the interests of Israel.

Israeli House has had a positive influence on Georgia’s position in the international arena in terms of affairs related to Israel, especially when placed in comparison with other CIS states.

Despite the fact that Georgia is a small country, with a sparse Jewish population, it has become an important ‘greenhouse’ for the development of Zionist initiatives, including Aliyah and Hasbara methods.

Within the framework of the 30th anniversary of Aliyah, next year the book will be published in English and Hebrew. But before that, the book will be presented in Georgian in December of this year. The presentation of the book will be attended by the official delegation of Israel.

ABOUT ALIYAH

Aliyah is the immigration of diaspora Jews to the Land of Israel. For much of Jewish history, most Jews have lived in diaspora communities where aliyah was developed as a national aspiration, although it was not usually fulfilled until the development of the Zionist movement in the late 19th century. Since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, more than 3 million Jews have moved to Israel. As of 2014, Israel and adjacent territories contain 42.9% of the world's Jewish population.

Translated by Ketevan Kvaratskheliya

Photo: Giorgi Khoshtaria, Simcha Dinitz, Itsik Moshe, Baruch Gur