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| North America: 1-866-4-ALIYAH • United Kingdom: 0800-075-7200 • Israel: 02-659-5800 |
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Nefesh B’Nefesh: Highest Rate Of North American Aliyah In Over Two Decades
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 The final charter aliyah flight for 2009, organized by Nefesh B’Nefesh and the Jewish Agency in cooperation with Israel’s Ministry of Immigrant Absorption, departed on Tuesday from JFK airport, carrying 210 new immigrants to Israel from the U.S. and Canada.
The flight caps off a record year of North American aliyah, in which 3,800 olim moved to Israel from the U.S. and Canada. This was the largest number of Jews to make aliyah from North America within one year since 1983.
Additionally, Nefesh B’Nefesh facilitated the aliyah of 621 Jews from the UK, bringing the total number of olim assisted by Nefesh B’Nefesh (in cooperation with the Jewish Agency) to 4,421. This figure not only reflects an organizational increase of over 38 percent from last year, but also indicates that Nefesh B’Nefesh has assisted 27 percent of the global aliyah to Israel this year.
“The rising interest in aliyah from North America is very encouraging for the State of Israel and is a clear indication that aliyah is becoming more of a mainstream choice for many Jews,” said Tony Gelbart, co-founder and chairman of Nefesh B’Nefesh. “We are confident that the numbers of Western olim will continue to rise, and we look forward to helping make the move easier and more successful for thousands more newcomers in 2010 and beyond.”
On the flight of 210 olim, 81 are single—some of the 950 singles who have made aliyah through Nefesh B’Nefesh this year. In response to the overwhelming reaction among Israelis to the arrival of so many single Western olim this past summer, Nefesh B’Nefesh has teamed up with the Israeli branch of the popular Jewish dating site JDate (www.jdate.co.il) to create a portal for its olim to meet Israeli singles.
Hundreds of family members, friends, and Israelis gathered at Ben Gurion airport to welcome the country’s newest olim at a festive arrival ceremony.
Among those to greet the new olim was Nathan Jacobson, who was recently appointed the Canadian Chair of Nefesh B’Nefesh and generously sponsored the charter flight. Mr. Jacobson is a well-known international businessman and is heavily involved in multiple Jewish and Israeli philanthropies around the world. Also present was Rabbi Berel Wein, who said, “It’s very important to realize the ongoing miracle of the Jewish people’s return to their homeland—and our generation is privileged to witness it . . . and it’s worthy of people coming to see it,” as reported by Arutz Sheva.
At the welcome ceremony at Ben Gurion airport, MK Silvan Shalom (deputy prime minister of Israel, minister of regional cooperation, and minister of the development of the Negev and Galil) is announcing a new joint government initiative with Nefesh B’Nefesh to encourage aliyah to Israel’s periphery. As part of the initiative, the Ministry of the Development of the Negev and Galil and the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption will provide increased support for olim who move to the north and south of the country as of 2010.
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