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Aliyah Flying High: 3,000 North Americans
in 2005
19:10 Dec 26, '05 / 25 Kislev
5766
By Tzvi Ben
Gedalyahu
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An end-of-the-year Nefesh
B'Nefesh-sponsored flight of new immigrants from North America
will round out a year of increased aliyah. Almost all
recent immigrants are satisfied with their move.
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The flight is expected to leave New
York on Tuesday and arrive at the new Ben Gurion Terminal 3
the following day with more than 200 new olim from the United
States, Canada and Mexico. More than 3,000 North American
Jews, the highest number since 1984, will have "come home" by
the end of the year.
The increase in aliyah
(literally "moving up" to Israel) also is more successful in
terms of satisfaction with the big move. An overwhelming
majority of 93 percent of recent olim are satisfied with their
new surroundings, a marked changed from the
past.
Sociologist Prof. Haim Waxman has written in his
studies more than a decade ago that more than one-third of
American olim in Israel return to the U.S., a figure confirmed
by Jewish Agency sources.
The results of the recent
survey, carried out professional pollster Mina Tzemach,
indicate a huge success by the Nefesh B'Nefesh organization,
which in coordination with the Jewish Agency has encouraged
and assisted new immigrants who have boarded six previous
flights of olim this year.
The trend of more olim from
North America has continued for three consecutive years,
according to Michael Landsberg, who heads the Jewish Agency's
North American bureau in New York.
Significant
characteristics in the makeup of the new olim are their age
and education, with a majority of those coming this week
having earned at least one university degree. Most of the olim
who have come via Nefesh B'Nefesh are married and between the
ages of 35 and 54.
One of the major reasons for the
higher success in aliyah from North America has been
the olim's ability to find work, according to the survey. At
least half of recent olim are currently working within their
fields of study, and a similar number are satsified with their
employment, including those who are working outside of their
professions.
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Published: 12:05 December 26,
2005
Last Update: 19:10 December 26, 2005 |
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