About 120 individuals interested in making aliyah to Israel filled the Novotel hotel in North York on Wednesday evening, as the Nefesh B’Nefesh aliyah mega event came to Toronto.

The event was held as part of a series of events being held across North America which provide information to individuals wishing to make aliyah to Israel, about the many services they will have access to upon their return to Israel, as well as services offered by Nefesh B’Nefesh and the Jewish Agency for Israel in order to make the aliyah and absorption process in Israel as smooth as possible.

The evening began with an address by Danny Oberman, Executive Vice President of Israel Operations at Nefesh B’Nefesh, who noted that Nefesh B’Nefesh is expecting about 5,000 Jews from North America to make aliyah to Israel during 2010. Oberman encouraged the participants to make aliyah as soon as possible. He noted that when Nefesh B’Nefesh calls the olim to see how they’re doing a year after they have made aliyah, 75% of them say ‘We’re sorry we didn’t do this sooner’.

Nathan Jacobson, Canadian Chairman of Nefesh B’Nefesh, recalled having dreamt as a child with his friends in Winnipeg about making aliyah to Israel one day. He said that he now lives in Israel close to the same friends, and they still get together. He added that Israel is a great place for children to grow up in and study, noting that he sees that in the wonderful education his daughter is receiving in Israel.

Also addressing the crowd were Liane Sela, JAFI’s Aliyah Shlicha for Canada, and Yossi Tanuri of UIA Federations Canada, who also encouraged the participants to make aliyah to Israel. Tanuri added that having been born and raised in Israel he often took it for granted, but in reality Israel is the best place in which to live.

Following the introductions, sessions were held that provided information about anything from planning aliyah, the shipping process, job finding in Israel, tax, mortgages, and much more.

Throughout the entire evening, an expo was simultaneously open, in which representatives from different organizations were on hand in order to provide participants about their institutions and how they can help those making aliyah. Among others, representatives from Maccabi and Meuhedet (health maintenance organizations), Orbit Shipping, mortgage companies, banks, and tax lawyers took part.

As well, representatives from different places in Israel showed participants why their area was the best one to choose to live in. Among the places represented were: Jerusalem, Haifa, Modi’in, Ariel, as well as the Negev and the Galillee.

Nefesh B’Nefesh states the following on its website as its mission statement: “The core mission of NBN is to revitalize Aliyah and to substantially increase the number of future Olim by removing the financial, professional and logistical obstacles that prevent many individuals from actualizing their dreams. In the process of fulfilling our mission, we aim to educate and inspire the Jews of the Diaspora as to the centrality of the Jewish State to the Jewish people and its desirability as a Jewish home. Such enhanced awareness will send an unmistakable signal of Anglo-Israeli Jewish solidarity and of our mutual determination to strengthen the State of Israel and thereby increase the likelihood of an ever expanding Aliyah reality.”

Undoubtedly, on Wednesday evening the dream of aliyah became one step closer to reality to the many participants who attended the event and received all the information on how indeed, Israel is the best place in the world to live.