A group of 213 young immigrants from around the world arrived in Israel this week, many hoping to build a new life — and find love.
The new arrivals, most of them single and including 85 from France, are beginning their journey at Ulpan Etzion, the Jewish Agency’s absorption center in Jerusalem. Known for being more than just a place to learn Hebrew, the center has a long-standing reputation as a matchmaking hub for new immigrants.
On the desk of the center's director, Ziva Avrahami, sits an album filled with wedding invitations and photographs of couples who met there, a testament to its reputation for romance.
Among the new immigrants is 22-year-old Michali Kayla Moore, a nail technician from London who grew up in a Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) family. She said rising antisemitism in the UK pushed her to make aliyah.
“I was walking with my sister when I suddenly felt sharp pain in my back,” she recounted. “It turned out someone had shot me with an air rifle. The police told me ten other Haredi women had reported similar incidents. I wanted a fresh start in a place where I don’t have to live in fear.”
Her younger brother Moshe, 20, made aliyah six months earlier. Now waiting to enlist in the Nahal Brigade, he works as a bartender and jeweler.
“In London, I didn’t feel like I fit in. Everything felt pro-Palestinian,” he said. “Our parents are worried about the army, but they’re also very proud. My mother brags that her son is enlisting.”
The current group includes doctors, engineers, high-tech professionals, lawyers, architects, journalists, artists, athletes, teachers and others seeking to integrate into Israeli society and contribute to its economy.
Yael Barda, 23, who holds a master’s degree in digital marketing, also arrived from Paris this week.
“After October 7, I was simply afraid to be Jewish,” she said. “I worked as a communications manager at a school and one day found myself surrounded by a huge pro-Palestinian protest. People I worked with became unfriendly because I supported Israel. My mother told me to hide my Star of David in public and on the subway. It just didn’t feel normal to live like that.”
Barda hopes to open her own communications firm in Israel once she becomes fluent in Hebrew.
Jewish Agency Chairman Maj. Gen. (res.) Doron Almog praised the new olim. “Making aliyah at this time is an act of courage, determination and deep faith in the Jewish future,” Almog said. “This is the largest group to arrive since October 7. They bring not only dreams, but skills, commitment and a sense of mission. Their integration is a driver of national resilience, culture and economic strength.”