Israel Celebrates 400 New Immigrants (Aliyah)

It looks as if the government of Israel has decided to celebrate International Aliyah Day with 400 Jewish immigrants who decided to leave their former homelands in order to settle within the holy land.

(Haaretz.com) The Immigration Absorption Ministry and the Jewish Agency on Monday welcomed some 400 new immigrants from around the world in a gala ceremony marking International Aliyah Day.

The ceremony was held at 3 P.M. at Ben Gurion International Airport in honor of the hundreds of immigrants who arrived from 23 countries including the United States, Canada, South Africa Russia and France.

Immigrants who arrived Monday were eligible for a package of special immigration benefits, including extra baggage allowance, temporary free housing for young olim, 60 hours of guided tours around Israel, as well as a number of other excursions and events.

Israel has been recently increasing their efforts to encourage Jews to make Aliyah (or move to Israel), especially from the western world (where the temptation to stay is much greater due to the ease of life--at least in the US).

Hopefully some of them will consider, as they have the potential of greatly impacting the nation financially, if not culturally as well.

Aliyah Version 2.0?

Regardless of where you live, moving can be expensive--especially if one decides to move half way around the world to a "foreign country" where the language differs from your birth tongue.

While this scenario barely describes what a Jewish individual has to consider when making Aliyah, it looks as if the Jewish Agency is considering a new way for Jews to make Aliyah, that is less risky and hopefully more appealing.

(Israel National News) In six months time, the Jewish Agency will introduce a flexible new "trial immigration" program to Jews from abroad, making them eligible for financial benefits not available to tourists, and enabling the quasi-olim (immigrants) to search for jobs and explore living options before committing to citizenship.

Jewish Agency officials say they hope to set up living quarters in Tel Aviv and Haifa for trial immigrants, and will assist with travel and living expenses.

This is probably a smart way of convincing Jews living abroad (especially the US) that living in Israel is much easier than they think.

Note: If any Jews living abroad are considering making Aliyah, I would highly recommend contacting Yael as she would have some excellent advice to share.

New Jewish School To Be Built In Ethiopia

(Image: Falash Mura children learning Hebrew in the Gondar compound, Credit: Uriel Heilman of JTA.org)

With the Israeli government winding down the Aliyah of Ethiopian Jews, a new organization called the United Jewish Communities federation (or UJC) is raising money to construct a Jewish school in the city of Gondar, Ethiopia.

(Jewish Telegraphic Agency) The school project is being undertaken by the North American Conference on Ethiopian Jewry (NACOEJ), which funds aid operations in Ethiopia for the Falash Mura -- Ethiopians who claim links to descendents of Jews either by lineage or by marriage -- and has campaigned

"We're happy to have raised this issue, convened the federations and facilitated their support of this project," said Jim Lodge, UJC's vice president for Israel and overseas affairs. "Much of that money has been offered by federations, and we're in the process of getting that money to NACOEJ."

According to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, the group has raised $350,000 to construct the school, which should help out Ethiopian Jews unable to make Aliyah to Israel.

Ethiopian Jews have been seeking ways to visit their homeland after centuries of exile. Hopefully the school will aid those left behind in the nation, as well as help improve their lives economically, if not spiritually.

$8.5 Million Donated To Israel By Christians

In a gesture of solidarity, evangelical Christians from the United States have donated $8.5 million (or approximately 34 million shekels) to help encourage Jews to commit Aliyah (or emigrate) towards Israel.

(Israel National News) An evangelical Christian group led by Rev. John Hagee raised $8.5 million for Israeli causes at a fundraising event earlier this week. Six million dollars will be donated to groups that encourage Jews to make aliyah (immigrate) to Israel, while the rest will be donated to a variety of other causes, including funds to support Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria.

Hagee is the founder and national chairman of the Christians United for Israel group, which is an organization seeking to promote Israel politically, financially and spiritually. They are one of the largest political grass roots organizations in the US, and perhaps one of the most influential as well.

This donation will help to send a strong signal to those eager to divide Jerusalem, something Hagee sees as "very unkosher."

Would You Pay $200,000 For A North American Immigrant?

It looks as if Israel will (in the future) be ramping up their Aliyah campaign for Jews living in North America (which probably refers to Jews living in the United States and Canada, as I am not too sure what the Jewish society is like in Mexico).

A new study has recently come out highlighting that a Jew who commits Aliyah (or immigrates to Israel) may be worth up to $200,000 a piece!

(Globes Online) A study on the economic impact of immigration from North America found that the value to the Israeli economy of an immigrant from there was $200,000. This estimate is based on level of education, professional experience, participation in the labor force after immigrating, and financial assets. The study found that immigrants from North America had a 90% rate of participation in the labor force after one year in Israel.

This rate of participation is far greater than the participation rate of Israelis and of immigrants from many other areas. In addition, the average output of an immigrant from North America is $24,000 a year. Two-thirds bought a car within a year of arrival.

Although there have been many reports of Jews making Aliyah from North America, this part of the word seems to be the hardest when it comes to marketing the promises of the holy land.

So my fellow Israeli (or pro-Israeli readers), how can Israel do a better job of convincing Jews from the US or Canada to cross the ocean and put their stake in American soil?

215 More Jews Make Aliyah (With 96 Being Single?)

It looks like more Jews have decided to support their mother land by leaving their respective countries in order to establish a new life in the holy land.

(Ynet News) Nefesh B'Nefesh, an organization dedicated to revitalizing aliyah from North America and the UK, brought its final summer flight to Israel on Tuesday, carrying the last 215 of over 2,200 new immigrants who moved to Israel on 15 aliyah flights over the last few months.

Tuesday's flight, which brought 96 singles and 29 families to Israel, marked the end of Nefesh B'Nefesh's summer influx of immigrants. Over this season, the organization helped over 2,200 people make aliyah - including almost 400 singles, 265 families with approximately 600 children, and 115 people who joined the IDF.

Of the 215 who landed within Israel, it seems almost half of them (96 approximately) are single. Whether that means they simply came by themselves or that they are single, the article did provide any specific details towards.

Note: Jacob may have some images of the Olim, so bookmark his site for some smiling faces of Israel's newest citizens.

250 More Jews Make Aliyah!

Jewish citizens from both the United States and the United Kingdom are now exiting their former lands in order to adopt Israel as their new home land.

(Ynet News) Two hundred new immigrants from the US and additional 75 from England arrived at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport Tuesday morning on two specially-chartered flights sponsored by Nefesh B'Nefesh. [...]

According to Nefesh B'Nefesh, a record 3,200 are expected to make aliyah from North America in 2007.

If pictures are worth a thousand words, then Jacob Richman's photographic roundup of the event would fill volumes.

Hopefully more Jews of the Diaspora will consider making Aliya (or moving towards Israel), but if they are hesitant about moving they could always consider taking a sneak peak through Taglit-Birthright Israel (thanks to Adelson's generous donation) or similar organizations.

Update: Inserted link to Ynet News (I must be getting really tired! LOL)

150 Americans Sign Up For Israeli Defense Forces

What makes this story more interesting is the fact that these are teenagers, who decided to emigrate towards Israel in order to defend the country, not just merely live there.

(Israel National News) In the coming months 150 new immigrants from the United States will be drafted into the IDF, representing the largest number of new recruits from the US to ever enlist in the IDF in a single draft.

"As opposed to the phenomenon of evasion we are witnessing in Israel, in the United States we met young men and women whose hearts are filled with the will to volunteer and sacrifice for the state," said Tzvika Levy, who oversees those making Aliyah in order to join the IDF.

This is great news for Israel, although I pray that those teenagers stay safe in the coming months.

Update: New French Jews Excited About Israel

(Image: New Olim at Ben-Gurion Airport, Credit: Yael Branovsky of Ynet News)


It looks like the Jews who left the land of croissants for the land of falafels are enjoying their stay in the holy land. Ynet reporters were able to give everyone a brief update on how they were adjusting to Israeli life, and it looks like the French Jews are enjoying it!

(Ynet News) An Immigration Ministry representative arrived at the house and held a short festive ceremony in which he gave the parents their blue identity cards. The children jumped up and kissed their excited parents. [...]

"We used to visit Israel a lot," says Valerie. "Last February we arrived for a real investigation. We came to Netanya, where I was familiar with the community of French immigrants, and I felt at home.

"When I entered the school the children will study in, I was excited and immediately understood this is the place I want them to be in. On the way back to France we already knew that we are going to immigrate to Israel very soon," she adds.

This family (along with 600 others) are already beginning to experience real life as Israeli's, with some seeing if they can remain in the same industry as they had in France.

Although they have yet to learn the language, these new comers (or olim as they call them in Israel) seem determined to learn Hebrew, as well as contribute to the overall Israeli society.

How Do You Say Aliyah In French?

(Image Credit: Eli Elgarat of Ynet News)


It looks as if 600 Jews from France will be departing their mother country in order to begin a new life as an Israeli in the holy land.

(Ynet News) Around 600 new immigrants from France are expected to land in Israel on Wednesday as the result of a joint effort of AMI (Aliyah et Meilleure Integration) and the Jewish Agency for Israel.

This year has seen a 10 percent rise in the number of new immigrants from France compared to the previous year, making 2007 a record year for French aliyah: More than 3,000 olim are expected to come to Israel, as opposed to 2,900 in 2006. This is a 35-year record.

What makes this news really exciting is the fact that many of these individuals are composed of families, with the bulk deciding to migrate towards Ashdod, Jerusalem and Netanya (a city I have yet to visit).

President Peres will officially welcome them to their new homeland, and hopefully they will be able to trade in their french croissants for an Israeli falafel.

Update: You can find more images of Aliyah over here (thanks Jacob!).

Also Israel National News has snippet regarding a couple who survived the Holocaust deciding to move to Israel.

Reform Jewish Denomination Encouraging Aliyah

(Image: Modi'in City, Credit: JTA.org)

In a surprise move, it looks as if the Reform Jewish community is actually encouraging their members to take a second glance at Israeli life.

Previously the denomination and the Israeli state have been at odds with each other (each refusing to recognize the other in some form or fashion) but it seems as if both are attempting at putting aside the past in order to focus on the future.

(Jewish Telegraphic Agency) Crowning an evolution decades in the making, the Reform movement has formed a groundbreaking partnership with a quasi-governmental Israeli agency to encourage immigration to the Jewish state.

On Monday, the movement launched a three-city U.S. tour to encourage Reform Jews to move to Modi'in, a modern Israeli city of 70,000 with a sizable Anglo-immigrant community. Its partner in the campaign is the Jewish Agency for Israel, the outfit historically charged with promoting and facilitating aliyah, or immigration, to Israel.

Although the mini-metropolis of Modi'in has only one Reform synagogue, the place has been labeled as Israel's "city of the future," which should appeal to those in the US debating on whether to make aliyah or not.

Aliyah News: More Jews From North America

(Image: Immigrants arriving from the US, Credit: Niv Calderon via Ynet)

It looks as if more Jews from Canada and the United States are uprooting themselves and migrating over to the kosher state. The state of Israel has not seen these levels since the 1980's, and it seems as if more Jews are returning to their homeland.

(Ynet News) The Aliyah Department of the Jewish Agency for Israel is anticipating that immigration to Israel from North America will increase between 5 and 10 percent this year, marking the highest aliyah from North America in 25 years. In 2006, 3,200 residents of the US and Canada formally became Israeli citizens, the highest figure since 1983.

Some 300 New York area residents who will move to Israel this summer will participate Monday (July 2) in a farewell reception hosted by the Jewish Agency in Manhattan, in conjunction with the Israel Consulate, with Ambassador Dan Gillerman, Israel's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, addressing the group. Similar farewell receptions have been held this month in Toronto, Boston, Miami, and Rockville, Maryland.

The new Israeli's range in age from toddlers to individuals in their nineties (with one being a holocaust survivor!). North America has been a hard market for the Aliyah agency (mainly because it is very comfortable here).

Hopefully more Jews will follow their brethren over the ocean and through the clouds as Israel could definitely use these newcomers advice (especially in politics!).

180 New England Jews To Commit Aliyah!

This is good news indeed for the Jewish nation! Having lived in New England before, I can attest that Israel will be receiving some of the most brightest (and creative) minds the US has ever known.

(Ynet News) Some 180 American Jews who are about to move to Israel will attend a farewell reception, the Boston Jewish advocate reported last week.

"The surge of area residents immigrating to Israel continues, as more New Englanders will make aliyah in 2007 than any other year to date," the report said. [...]

"This is a major moment, and a huge responsibility for me," the Advocate quoted Tova Grushko, regional director of the Center, as saying.

"These are high-quality people coming from this area who are going to change the face of Israel," she added.

In the Ynet article, some of the Jews did admit moving to the Holy Land would be "daunting" as they in essence will be starting a new life, one which is very different from New England.

How ever one thing these Jews can look forward to are the warmer temperatures, not to mention the Dead Sea and beautiful beaches.

Update: My site's time settings seem to be off. Post has been corrected to reflect publishing order.

Aliyah Stories From JTA

(Image Credit: Young Judaea, via JTA.org)


Here are two stories featured on the Jewish Telegraphic Agency regarding Aliyah, or Israeli's returning to their homeland.

The first deals with one actually committing aliyah with the second story highlighting someone encouraging more Jews to do so.

(Jewish Telegraphic Agency) Living in Israel had been my dream, but for so many years it wasn't even a consideration. In my practical, secular Jewish family, education was the No. 1 priority. [...]

The Israel dream persisted, however, and I visited an Israeli emissary in my area. We began exploring my options. I wanted an authentic Israeli experience and considered making aliyah immediately, but I didn't want to be a burden on my relatives living in Israel.

Here is the second story...

(Jewish Telegraphic Agency) Meeting and living with Jews my age from Israel, the United States and England for nearly a year not only allowed me to expose them more to Israel, it changed my opinions, my perceptions and my life decisions. It also reinforced the ties between Israel and the Diaspora.

The program's purpose is not to introduce these young people to my country. Rather it's to make clear that this is also their country.

Throughout the year, my main goal was to make them stop feeling like tourists and begin to feel at home. I wanted them to see beyond the Kotel, Masada and the Kinneret, to take them to the restaurants I like, to teach them the up-to-date slang, to share my opinions about Israel and politics with them, to bring them home to meet my family and my friends.

Both of these stories help reinforce the difference between Israel and many nations around the world. While most countries usually only display interest in their citizens abroad when they are in danger, Israel seems to be dedicated on bringing back all of their people to the holy land.

Although not everyone will be willing to return to the promise land (as I know some Jews who love living in America) I think all of them should at least visit Israel, as it would give them a cultural taste of who they are in the world.

Words Of Advice For Those Seeking Aliyah

Aish.com has an awesome article for those of you (whether Jewish or Gentile) seeking to make Aliyah to Israel. There are ten tips total, but here are a listing of the first three:

1. Keep an Open Mind
   Elad Gefen, 27, who works in film and journalism and currently lives in Tel Aviv, highlights open-mindedness and lack of expectations as the number one ingredient for Aliyah success. He cautions against regarding the move to Israel as a "cure-all" or as a "flip of the switch" which will automatically change a person's life. "You've got to work at it," he says.



2. Keep the Kids Happy
   [...] "We figured if our children are happy, we'll be happy and our aliyah will be successful," points out Yehuda Saar. He was right. After touring schools and neighborhoods, the Saars decided to settle down in Ra'anana, where their children are thriving. Yehuda works as a commodities trader and is enthusiastic about his family's relocation to Israel.



3. Keep the Connection Alive
   One of the most difficult challenges new immigrants encounter is the loneliness of leaving loved ones behind. Keeping up with family and friends is critical for a successful aliyah. Too much loneliness and homesickness are definite success-busters, and it's important to make the effort. Immigrants would do well to consider getting an all-you-can-talk phone line which can be used to make international calls for a set fee each month.

Reading these tips made me realize just how expensive (and difficult) life can be while moving towards Israel. I know of a few bloggers who have made the move (like this one) and their stories of transition are an eye opener, if not humorous to say the least.

Be sure to check out the other seven tips, as the first three here are merely the frosting on the cake regarding this issue.

More Ethiopian Jews Make Aliyah

It looks like Israel is beginning to respond to the requests of their Ethiopian kin.

(Ynet News) The State of Israel is in the final stages of bringing Ethiopian Jews of the Falashmura from the outskirts of Adis Ababa to Israel.

The Interior Ministry reported that so far, over 90 percent of the Falashmura were found eligible to immigrate to Israel.

This is good news indeed. I hope we see more of this.

Those Crazy Bukharian Actors

Disclaimer: I'm joking.

Anyways, it seems that a humorous musical is catching some attention in Israel. The plot: a man and his family perform Aliyah and try to survive in their new homeland.

(Ynet News) The musical "In Bukhara I Was Boi" (rich) was performed for the seventh annual conference of the Bukharian Jewish Congress, under the leadership of Lev Leviev. [...]

The playwright, director and actor, Chai Davidov (of Bukharian origin) was called to duty to write the musical that is based on the lives and experiences of the Bukharian immigrants to Israel.

The musical tells the story of 'Mula Chai-Abu Albanat', who emigrated with his family from Bukhara to Israel, and struggles with the hardships of absorption, cultural differences, language issues, and the social and financial struggles that his family experiences. His family is composed of seven people - Chai, his wife Mazal and their five daughters.

The play sounds very humorous, especially when the father has to find suitable husbands for his daughters (who end up choosing their own mates to his horror). All seems to end well though, despite the fact that the sons-in-law give Chai a few gray hairs. ;-)

If the musical is this good, I wonder if they will release this on Broadway (New York) anytime soon?

Video: Follow Me To Israel (Come Back)

This video pretty much sums up the feeling of Aliyah. God bless.

Note: I was inspired by Israelii's post.

More American Jews Seeking Aliya

There seems to be a new surge of Jews seeking to emigrate back home, which is good news for the Israeli government.

Unfortunately the only thing holding them back is some cold, hard cash.

(Jerusalem Post) Some 15,000 North American Jews would like to immigrate to Israel but Nefesh B'Nefesh lacks the funding to facilitate their coming, according to Danny Ayalon, who became the organization's co-chair this week after wrapping up his terms as ambassador to the United States.

"The potential is here" for a massive influx, he said, so his priority would be raising funds and awareness for the organization.

Ayalon said at least $45 million would be needed to bring those 15,000, all of whom have contacted Nefesh and are at various stages of the application process.

This basically amounts to about $3,000 per person, which does not include grants given to the families to help them adjust inside Israel.

Although Ayalon is heading for the states in order to find big donors, he may be more successful if he would simply initiate a "support your local jew" campaign where pro-Israeli families would help sponsor a person to make Aliya.

But regardless of the method, it's good to see more Jews deciding to move to their homeland in order to strengthen Israeli society.

Ethiopian Jews Anxious To See Home

For those who didn't know--Jews come in all colors. It appears that some of the kosher brethren are waiting to make Aliyah; that is the right to immigrate to Israel.

Why this is taking so long is beyond me.

(Ynet News) The Gondar synagogue, its 60 benches arrayed on a dirt floor under a roof of corrugated iron, sits next to piles of garbage and a stream of sewage. Nearby is a feeding center financed by international donors. [...]

"Look at how we live," Asmare said, gesturing inside a dimly lit, one-room house he shares with his wife and eight children. "We sleep together in our beds and use the beds as a table for eating. I can't afford to feed my children, send them to school, or buy a new roof for my house. I want to leave for Israel."

While the conditions that they are in are not very fun, the fact that they desire to live in the holy land does make me very happy.

There are currently about 9,000 Jews left in Ethiopia, although some estimates run as high as 18,000. Israel currently allows 300 a year to immigrate, although there have been talks to double that amount.

I wonder if Prime Minister Olmert would consider increasing the amount? (as it would definitely help out his approval rating)