Record three month period for North American Aliyah as 2,500 new Olim expected to arrive in summer 2010

SUMMER ALIYAH SEASON LAUNCHES WITH ARRIVAL OF FIRST CHARTER ALIYAH FLIGHT TODAY

(JERUSALEM; 7 July 2010)-

This summer, Nefesh B’Nefesh and the Jewish Agency will assist over 2,500 Jews to make Aliyah from the USA and Canada. The summer 2010 Aliyah season kicks off with the first charter Aliyah flight arriving today (July 7th) bringing 232 new immigrants, including 27 men and women who will be volunteering to serve in the IDF. Among the newcomers arriving this summer are 1,137 singles, of which over 493 will be joining the IDF, and more than 300 people moving to Northern Israel as part of Nefesh B’Nefesh’s ‘Go North’ program.

"The series of flights with new immigrants arriving from North America in the coming weeks expresses to my joy the fruitful partnership that exists between the Jewish Agency for Israel and Nefesh B’Nefesh,” said Chairman of the Jewish Agency, Natan Sharansky. “I have no doubt that this partnership between these two organizations is a blessed and winning combination.”

The summer Olim will be arriving on three charter and eight group Aliyah flights in addition to hundreds choosing to make the move on other dates. By the end of summer 2010, Nefesh B’Nefesh together with the Jewish Agency will have brought a total of 44 charter and 56 group Aliyah flights.

“The exponential growth in ‘Aliyah of choice’ year by year signals a significant emerging trend in western Jewry” said Tony Gelbart, Co-Founder and Chairman of Nefesh B’Nefesh. “As more North American and British Olim make successful lives for themselves in Israel, we are noticing this is having a snowball effect on their friends, family and peers back home. Working together with the Jewish Agency and the government of Israel, we look forward to facilitating the Aliyah of an ever growing number of Jews in years to come.”

Hundreds of families and friends as well as Israeli dignitaries will gather at Ben Gurion Airport to welcome the country’s newest citizens at the arrival ceremony. Those present included: Minister of Immigrant Absorption Sofa Landver; Chairman of the Jewish Agency Natan Sharansky; Vice Chairman of Nefesh B’Nefesh, Erez Halfon and Co-Founders of Nefesh B’Nefesh Rabbi Yehoshua Fass and Tony Gelbart.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION: Renana Levine, +972 54 244 9747 / [email protected]