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Aliyah: Numbers are Up, Satisfaction is
High
12:35 Dec 28, '05 / 27 Kislev
5766
By Hillel
Fendel
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Aliyah to Israel is up - not only
from North America, not only in numbers, and not only in the
"final step."
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For the first time since the onset
of the Oslo War five years ago, the downward Aliyah
[immigration to Israel] trend has turned, with more olim [new
immigrants] arriving this year than last year.
A total
of some 23,000 new immigrants will have made Aliyah this year,
according to preliminary Jewish Agency figures. These include
record numbers from France and North America, and increases
from other countries.
The most dynamic name in North
American Aliyah will star this afternoon, when the 7th
specially chartered Nefesh B'Nefesh flight of the year will
arrive at Ben Gurion International Airport. The El Al plane
will bring close to 250 North American Jews home in Israel.
Since its inception in 2001, Nefesh B’Nefesh (NBN), an
organization dedicated to the revitalization of North American
Aliyah, working closely with the Jewish Agency, has brought
more than 7,000 new immigrants to Israel. Today's flight will
bring this year's total to more than 3,100.
Greeting
the newcomers at a welcoming ceremony at Ben Gurion Airport
will be hundreds of family, friends and supporters, along with
former Knesset Immigration Committee Chairman MK Tzvi Hendel,
Deputy Interior Minister Ruchama Avraham, and Nefesh B’Nefesh
founders Rabbi Yehoshua Fass and Tony Gelbart.
Before Aliyah, must come education to Aliyah.
The Jewish Agency notes that the number of Jewish youth
from around the world participating in educational programs in
Israel is also on the upswing. In 2005, young Jews taking part
in short-term programs (including Birthright-Israel, Israel
Experience and others) numbered 29,712 - close to 1,000 more
than last year. Participation in long-term educational
programs was up 37%: 5,583 students and youths studied in
Israeli yeshivot and university programs, as opposed to 4,058
the year before.
Possibly in celebration of the rise
in Aliyah, the Aliyah organization Kumah has
released a short provocative film via the internet. Viewable
at http://www.aliyahrevolution.com/, the
animated film draws upon the allegory constructed by the
popular Matrix trilogy, and calls upon the individual Jew
living outside Israel to reach a heightened awareness of
his/her role in Jewish destiny at this time.
The
Jewish Agency reports that from North America, 3,052 new
immigrants will have made Aliyah by the end of this year, up
from 2,640 last year. This is the highest total since 1983,
when 3,806 North Americans moved to Israel.
From
France, Aliyah was up from 2,415 last year, to nearly 3,000
this year - the highest total since 1972.
In the past
two years, 5,700 North Americans and 5,400 French Jews have
made Aliyah - literally, moved up - to Israel.
A recent survey commissioned by the Jewish
Agency found that more than 90% of North Americans who
immigrated to Israel between 3 and 16 months ago are either
"very satisfied" or "quite satisfied" with their absorption in
Israel. The survey was conducted by Dahaf - Public Opinion
Research Institute.
A 10% decrease in Aliyah was
registered from the countries of the former Soviet Union. The
total for 2005: 9,124 new immigrants. From Ethiopia, there
will be a total of 3,700 olim, similar to last year.
A
large increase was registered from South America - 1,850 olim
this year, compared with 1,348 last year - and a small
increase was registered from England - over 450 olim this
year, an increase from 435 last year.
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Published: 09:27 December 28,
2005
Last Update: 12:35 December 28, 2005 |
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