Canadian, American Olim on Way to Israel
10:01
Jul 12, '05 / 5 Tammuz 5765
(IsraelNN.com) The first of eight
planeloads of new immigrants (olim) due to arrive in Israel
this year left Toronto last night. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
is scheduled to meet the new arrivals at Ben Gurion
airport.
Immigration from North America is expected to
soar to 3,000 this year, the highest since 1983. The number of
olim from North American dwindled to less than 2,000 before
rising again in the past few years.
The Nefesh B'Nefesh
organization has been a prime force behind the new wave of
immigration from Canada and the United States. The
organization finances the flights and provides help with
bureacracy and other aspects of settling in once the new
Israelis hit the ground. According to Israel radio, a number
of the Canadians took the oath of citizenship in the air en
route.
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