This week, ILTV participated in a special event. As the plane touched down in Israel, the joy and excitement were felt by all 225 new olim from North America who had finally arrived in the Holy Land to make aliyah.
“It is the first charter flight since October 7, where we're seeing an enormous increase of interest in aliyah,” said Rabbi Yehoshua Fass, co-founder of Nefesh B’Nefesh. “We're seeing the largest cohort of North American aliyah over the last 25 years.”
The charter flight was a partnership with the Israeli Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, the Jewish Agency for Israel, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael, and Jewish National Fund-USA.
One hundred and twenty-five children were aboard the flight, with the youngest oleh only 9 months old. The group included families, singles, and professionals from diverse backgrounds—among them doctors, engineers, and lawyers.
In fact, five physicians and 19 medical professionals were on board, ready to begin their careers in Israel, a process that Nefesh B’Nefesh works hard to make as smooth as possible.
It wasn’t just families and children. Many singles also arrived, some with plans to serve in the IDF.
“Nine months ago, I did not know I was going to be living here,” said one oleh. “Right now, I'm here. I'm officially an Israeli citizen, finally, and I'm just overwhelmed with joy. You guys could do the same exact thing too.”
Israel’s Minister of Aliyah and Integration told ILTV that even amid today’s security challenges, immigration to Israel is at its peak.
“I think this is a strong message to our people, to the Israeli people, that usually during a war, people escape from the country. But for the Jewish people, people are coming to Israel,” said Minister Ofir Sofer.
After disembarking, the new arrivals were greeted with a festive Nefesh B’Nefesh welcome, complete with music, celebration—and just a bit of paperwork.
“And you know the situation around the world is not simple for people, but coming home is simple, because that's what they're going to do,” said Nefesh B’Nefesh co-founder Tony Gelbart. “They're coming home to Israel. When there's trouble at home, people come home to help out.”
Nefesh B’Nefesh, in cooperation with the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, works to ensure every Jew feels at home in Israel.
“I have worked with Nefesh B’Nefesh on so many different issues, and every single time they handle the logistics. But what stood out was the way they made us feel welcome and comfortable,” said Linda Bingham, an olah from Iowa.
WELCOME HOME
