The second National Conference for Immigrant Physicians in Israel was held Wednesday for doctors who made Aliyah over the past year. Initiated by the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration in cooperation with partner organizations, the conference aimed to accelerate the integration of immigrant physicians into Israel’s healthcare system.
The program included meetings with potential employers, presentations on employment tracks, professional guidance on medical licensing and specialty recognition in Israel, and networking opportunities with colleagues across the medical community. The conference was held in the presence of Minister of Aliyah and Integration Ofir Sofer, directors general of partner ministries in the International Medical Aliyah Program and Nefesh B’Nefesh co-founder and Executive Director Rabbi Yehoshua Fass.
2 View gallery
Rabbi Yehoshua Fass, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Nefesh B'Nefesh, Moshe Bar Siman-Tov, Dir-Gen, Health Ministry, Adv. Avichai Kahana, Dir-Gen, Aliyah and Integration Ministry, Ofir Sofer, Minister of Aliyah and Integration, Efrat Aflalo, Head of the Physician Administration and Required Medical Professions, Yohanan Mali, Dir-Gen, Ministry of Negev and Galil and National Resilience
(Photo: Elisha Henkin, Aliyah and Integration Ministry)
Hundreds of physicians immigrated to Israel in 2025 through the International Medical Aliyah Program, a national initiative led by Nefesh B’Nefesh in partnership with the ministries of Aliyah and Integration, Health, and the Negev, Galilee and National Resilience, in cooperation with The Jewish Agency for Israel. Physicians arrived from North America, France, the United Kingdom, South America and other countries. According to current trends, hundreds of additional doctors are expected to make Aliyah in 2026, further strengthening the public healthcare system nationwide.
Data from the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration shows that 541 physicians made Aliyah in 2025, including 346 from the former Soviet Union, 93 from North America, 53 from France, 23 from South America and the remainder from other countries.
Many of these physicians have already been placed in positions at hospitals, health funds and healthcare organizations across Israel, including Ichilov, Hadassah, Sheba Medical Center, Shaare Zedek, Rambam, Soroka, Wolfson, HaEmek, Laniado and Barzilai hospitals.
The data indicates that growth in physician Aliyah is strongest in countries where the program is active and where targeted outreach initiatives and professional conferences were held. In line with this trend, 2025 marked the program’s first expansion into Australia, reflecting growing interest in Aliyah among Jewish medical professionals there.
The increase followed a year of international recruitment activity, including job fairs and professional events that brought together representatives from Israeli government ministries and healthcare institutions. These initiatives provided physicians with direct access to information, assistance with Aliyah and licensing processes, and exposure to employment opportunities.
The program concluded 2025 with significant gains in promoting physician Aliyah, supporting licensing and professional integration, and connecting immigrant doctors with employment across Israel’s healthcare system. Since the launch of the program in 2024, more than 1,000 physicians have made Aliyah and entered the workforce with assistance in licensing and specialty recognition.
As part of efforts to strengthen healthcare services in Israel’s periphery, and with the support of the Tekuma Administration and the Ministry of the Negev, Galilee and National Resilience, about NIS 5 million in grants were awarded over the past year to physicians who chose to live and work in the Negev and the Galilee in high-demand medical fields. The grants were distributed to 15 physicians who met established criteria. The ministries said they plan to expand the program and encourage additional physicians to choose the periphery as both a professional and residential destination.
“The increase in the number of physicians choosing to come to Israel reflects a shared vision and a deep connection between Jewish identity, profession and mission,” Sofer said. “The more than 1,000 physicians who have made Aliyah over the past two years, during a time of war, express confidence in the State of Israel and its healthcare system and choose to build their future here. This is an Aliyah of individuals who bring excellence and experience and choose participation in a national effort to strengthen Israel’s healthcare system. The ministry is committed to this mission and will continue in 2026 to remove barriers and expand the initiative to additional countries.”
“The arrival of hundreds of immigrant physicians is significant news for Israel’s healthcare system, particularly in the Negev and the Galilee,” said Minister of the Negev, Galilee and National Resilience Yitzhak Wasserlauf. “Together with our partners, we are accelerating their integration and will continue expanding grants for physicians who choose to live and work in the periphery as part of strengthening Israel’s national resilience.”
“Nefesh B’Nefesh is honored to help lead the International Medical Aliyah Program in partnership with the relevant ministries and The Jewish Agency,” Fass said. “By streamlining the medical licensing process and making it more accessible to physicians considering Aliyah, we are removing barriers and creating opportunities for professional and personal integration into Israel’s healthcare system. As we look to 2026, this collaboration will remain central to addressing Israel’s national challenges.”