Nefesh B’Nefesh marked the arrival of its 100,000th North American immigrant to Israel on Sunday, more than two decades after the organization was founded to help Jews from the United States and Canada make aliyah and integrate into Israeli society.
President Isaac Herzog welcomed the Douglas family of New York to the President’s Residence in Jerusalem to celebrate the milestone, joined by Aliyah and Integration Minister Ofir Sofer and Nefesh B’Nefesh co-founders Rabbi Yehoshua Fass and Tony Gelbart.
Nefesh B’Nefesh welcomes 100,000th North American immigrant in Jerusalem
( Video: Yonit Schiller)
Jeffrey and Atara Douglas arrived in Jerusalem with their three children, Nathaniel, 10, Hallie, 9, and Emilia, 6, who became the organization’s 100,000th olah, the Hebrew term for a female immigrant to Israel. “I am delighted to welcome to Israel the Douglas family, including their six-year-old daughter Emilia, who is the 100,000th olah to make aliyah with Nefesh B’Nefesh to Israel,” Herzog said.
“The Douglas family is setting a wonderful example for millions of Jews all over the world, and I wish them every success in their integration and new life here in Israel,” he added. Herzog also thanked Fass and Gelbart for their work, saying they had “changed the whole model of aliyah,” and praised Sofer for his efforts to encourage immigration to Israel and support new arrivals.
Founded in 2002, Nefesh B’Nefesh has sought to simplify the immigration process for North American Jews by helping prospective immigrants navigate Israeli bureaucracy and providing guidance before and after their arrival.
The organization said the 100,000 milestone represents more than the number of immigrants it has assisted, pointing to the families they have raised, communities they have joined and professional and social contributions they have made since settling in Israel.
(Photo: Yonit Schiller)
“This celebration belongs not only to Nefesh B’Nefesh, but to every oleh who chose to turn the dream of Israel into a life lived here,” Gelbart, the organization’s co-founder and chairman, said.
“Each person who made aliyah has contributed to Israel in ways both visible and unseen. Together, they have helped build stronger communities, strengthened the country’s economy, enriched its culture and ensured a vibrant future for generations to come.”
Gelbart said the milestone was a moment to reflect on the organization’s development but not an endpoint. “Looking back at where we began makes us incredibly proud, but what excites us even more is imagining what the next 100,000 olim will accomplish,” he said.
In remarks marking the occasion, Fass similarly focused on the generations born in Israel to immigrants who arrived with the organization.
“This milestone isn’t simply about welcoming our 100,000th oleh, it’s about the generations that have followed,” he said. “It’s about the sabra children born because their parents chose to build their future in Israel, and the grandchildren who know no other home.”
Fass pointed to immigrants who worked as physicians and educators, launched businesses and helped build communities across the country. “The true impact of aliyah can’t be measured by a single number, as every oleh creates a legacy that extends far beyond themselves,” he said. “Today, the Douglas family adds their own chapter to that growing legacy.”
Sofer described the arrival of the 100,000th immigrant as “an exciting and meaningful event for both aliyah and the State of Israel.”
“This summer, we are proud to welcome many families making aliyah with their children, choosing to build their homes and futures in Israel,” he said. “Each of them strengthens the country while deepening the enduring bond between the Diaspora Jewish community and Israel.”
The organization’s activities have expanded considerably since its early years. In addition to assisting immigrants, Nefesh B’Nefesh now runs programs aimed at addressing Israeli workforce and demographic needs, including efforts to recruit medical professionals through its International Medical Aliyah Program and MedEx initiatives.
The Douglas family
(Photo: Yonit Schiller )
It also provides support for lone soldiers and women performing national service, works on programs intended to strengthen communities in the Negev and Galilee and promotes Zionist education.
The organization says its focus has increasingly shifted from simply helping immigrants arrive in Israel to helping them build long-term lives in the country.
For the Douglas family, the move had been under consideration for years. Their connection to Israel is reflected in the names of their three children, each of whom was named in memory of an Israeli soldier or victim of terrorism, according to Nefesh B’Nefesh.
During a visit to Israel last summer for the wedding of close friends, Jeffrey and Atara Douglas said they began to imagine raising their children in the same environment they were experiencing around them.
A second visit several months later solidified their decision to make aliyah. “Someone once told me, ‘We’re leading, not leaving,’” Atara Douglas said. “That has become our mantra. That’s exactly how we feel as we begin this next chapter in Israel with our children.”
“We wanted to live and experience Jewish history as it unfolds, to be part of the story of Am Yisrael in our homeland through both the moments of joy and the moments of challenge,” she added. “We are finally fulfilling our dream.”
Nefesh B’Nefesh works in partnership with the Aliyah and Integration Ministry, the Jewish Agency for Israel, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael and JNF-USA. The organization says about 90% of the more than 100,000 North American immigrants it has assisted have remained in Israel.