Why are young Israelis moving to India in increasing numbers and settling

[KlatooBNikto]

down there?

A recent post here on DU's board mentioned that nearly 10,000 young Israeli men and women, have chosen to marry Indian boys and girls and settle down in India preferring to become Buddhists and Hindus.One of them was quoted as saying that he preferred to live in a peaceful society without worrying about wars and strife.India, to him was just such a place because it does not have a history of intolerance for Jews like Europe or the Middle East.Obviously, India is delighted to have such a talented and energetic young group join its increasingly sophisticated economy that needs the fresh blood this group can infuse into Indian Society. That is essentially the gist of what the author, Richard Florida, talks about in his book, The Rise Of The Creative Class, where tolerance for Diversity is considered an essential ingredient for the success of emerging technological societies.

[wakeme2008]

1. the Caste system in India is very intolerant

which is very strange........ IMHO...

[Mizmoon]

3. I know - I never made it out of the Calcutta chorus

ba-da-bum!

[KlatooBNikto]

4. From what I hear, the caste system is fading fast in India as the country

is moving forward economically.In its essence, the caste system was an economic stratification scheme that permanently entrenched one group in advantage.Sort of like having a million Bush families.

[fujiyama]

14. As Klatoo stated

the caste system is falling fast, especially in urban areas and among the educated.

Also, the caste system really has never touched other religions. It's not well known, but India has a small Jewish population which has never faced any discrimination of any kind, unlike Europe and the Middle East.

[ikojo]

2. I suspect that many Israelis move and settle in India

because of it's emerging economy in the high tech sector. They can be on the ground floor of tremendous opportunities. Also, if these are truly marriages of love and not convenience (ie not just to get a foot in the Indian door and access to Indian citizenship) the state of Israel will not allow Jews and non Jews to marry IN Israel. They must marry elsewhere. Israel will recognize the marriage performed elsewhere, though. I know an Israeli woman, whose grandparents settled in Israel during the 1930s, who married a man from Germany. They had to get married on Cyprus.

In the 1960s many American Jews also turned to and embraced Bhuddism. I don't understand it because much of what is in Bhuddism is also in the Jewish mystical tradition. There's a book called the Jew in the Lotus about an American Jew who travels to India with several rabbis who have been invited to meet with the Dalai Lama. The DL wanted in on the Jewish secret for surviving as a people in exile. The book also touches on the JuBhu issue and the number of American Bhuddists who were once Jews.

[sweetheart]

5. Its a cheap place to travel

I've met MANY israeli's travelling in india, as its a nearby cheap,
safe destination that is incredibly culturally diverse and warm.
Why NOT settle in such a place. I'm suprised its only 10,000... and
i'd wager as many americans are there as well, just unreported.

[applegrove]

6. Florida points out that creative classes in and of themselves will

create elites. That these will be ubercity elites and their creativity will not affect (or help) the people in rural areas next door.

[KlatooBNikto]

7. Societies like India and China that place a premium on education,

technology and diversity will be the beneficiaries because their societies, as they emerge into the new technological age,are abandoning their own traditions in icreasing numbers and adopting the Western egalitarian ideals more and more. That is a trend that will bring previously dispossessed sections of their societies into the so called Elite.

[applegrove]

8. It will also bring creatives, angry with US domestic tribalism and hate,

to move around the world and to live in those few favored cities with big creative classes and tolerance. Kids graduating with creative skills will just not want to start a career in a depressing & closed minded place where they have to listen to creeps and xenophobes pretend to speak for them everyday on the news.

Labor will be as moveable as capital in those creative fields. People will grow up inspired or in love with India, Cool Britannia, Vancouver, and places outside & away from GOP. They will not be inspired by their own country anymore.

So far the USA has been the beneficiary of the best and the brightest. That is changing.

[Colorado Blue]

16. OK, please. We shouldn't educate ourselves? The great

Irish poet William Butler Yeats believed in an aristocracy of artists, people of talent, and vision, who are willing to spend their lives, frequently for no money, in order to make life better and more beautiful FOR OTHER PEOPLE.

So, now we're going to go shoot artists? That was one of the Communist lines. I think it sucks. And I'd be first in line. So fine, y'all can come and get me. Burn books, jail intellectuals, torture artists, and while we're at it maybe another holocaust, since this charming thought appears in a thread about Jews?

Without educated, hard-working, inspired human beings we'd all still be in the caves.

AND, we'd still have elites. The biggest, strongest, meanest, most violent people around would simply kill their rivals, grab the women by the hair and that would be that.

Civilized society respects ALL levels of human endeavor. ALL of our efforts work TOGETHER: the farmer, the pastoralist, the warrior, the pilot, the surgeon, the philosopher, the artist, the technological wizard. We wouldn't be communicating like this if it weren't for intellectual pioneers.

So I'm not sure why the term "ubercity elites" is even in currency, it sounds like a pejorative.

[theboss]

9. Opportunities!

You can make a fortune in India and China right now if you are brave, creative and smart. And not to talk in generalities, but Jewish people always seem to be at the forefront of waves of immigration. I think it's because Jews as a group are probably more tolerant of different cultures than other ethnic groups and have always been somewhat comfortable as a minority.

And there is a beautiful two hundred year old Jewish cemetary in Charleston, South Carolina that supports my thesis.

[KlatooBNikto]

10. When I was visiting India on business nearly ten years ago, they

showed me a beautiful temple built by Jews on the West Coast of india near Cochin more than 600 years ago. That temple has recently been renovated.

[theboss]

11. It seems to be true

But wherever a culture seems to be growing and thriving, there will be a small but vibrant Jewish community nearby.

[KlatooBNikto]

13. As a people, Jews have always emphasized learning through the ages.

They find the same love of learning among Indians and Chinese.So there is a natural gravitational pull.

[Just Me]

12. Not sure but this could be more a statement about Israel than India.

I don't think anyone can deny that Israel is both divided and living in constant strife. :shrug:

[fujiyama]

15. I've read about this

for a while now. Apparently Israel is also one India's largest sourced of tourism. I also remember reading that just prior (or maybe after) serving the required time in the Israeli military, it is almost a tradition for young Israelis to make a visit to India.

I'm not surprised that many are simply deciding to stay there. India, is as another stated, relatively cheap, has nice weather, and has expanding opportunities (especially in hi tech which Israelis are also skilled in).

This is a great exchange of ideas and culture for both societies. It is also no surprise that the two nations have forged a stronger relationship in recent years.