European aliyah expo for health workers seeks to remedy Israel’s doctor shortage
Hundreds attend continent’s first-ever MedEx event in Paris on Sunday, receive bureaucratic and practical assistance as they consider leaving France amid unprecedented antisemitism
PARIS — Standing in the middle of the first-ever Israel immigration expo in Europe geared toward medical professionals, Dr. Jacob Haviv, the director-general of the Jerusalem-based Herzog Medical Center, described the arrangement as a “win-win.”
Haviv and representatives from every major hospital and medical facility in Israel traveled to Paris last weekend to meet French medical professionals who were considering making aliyah — the Hebrew term for immigration to Israel.
“I’m here to respond to the huge need in my hospital and for my patients, but also to help Jews who want to immigrate,” Haviv said, smiling. “I’m doing my best to help them even if they don’t come to my hospital.”
The event, which took place this past Sunday, was part of the MedEx expo series organized by Nefesh B’Nefesh to help expedite the aliyah process for medical professionals, who often require more attention than the average immigration candidate due to the complexities of transferring medical certification.
At the Paris MedEx, 400 participants congregated to conduct professional speed dating, explore opportunities and learn more about navigating the bureaucracy.
“I came here to learn more about job opportunities and the equivalencies. I have already been to Israel several times on vacation or to see relatives, but next time will be different. It will be the start of a new life,” shared one doctor who asked to remain anonymous.
Israel also seeks to fill the severe labor shortage in the medical sector. The country’s Health Ministry recently published a report putting the number of doctors at 3.4 per 1,000 residents at the end of 2022 — less than the OECD average of 3.7.
“So many Russian doctors came to Israel in the ’80s and ’90s, but they are now retired. The population has also gone up. So the needs are huge,” said Marc Rosenberg, the vice president of Diaspora partnerships at Nefesh B’Nefesh, a semi-governmental organization geared toward facilitating immigration to Israel, largely from North America.
“We know that we have a problem in Israel with physicians,” said Avichai Kahana, director-general of the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, who was present at the event. “In 2026, there will be a large shortage of doctors, so we had this special project with the Ministry of Health, Aliyah and Integration and Nefesh B’Nefesh to bring more than 2,000 doctors in five years.”
He added that given the great enthusiasm of attendees, similar events could be held in the future.
Trying to soften the landing
The event was also an occasion to better prepare potential candidates for post-immigration reality. Language remains a major challenge for new arrivals, who need Hebrew skills to integrate into their new society.
“We have situations of people who have made aliyah for a few months and then failed. We must not hide it, it is also a reality,” said Julie Dziesietnik, from Qualita Hub de l’emploi, an organization that helps French-speaking immigrants.
Immigration can be even more difficult for the spouses of healthcare professionals who want to make the move, Dziesietnik said.
“First we try to find out if their profession is exportable or not. Afterward, very often, we reorient them, we do a skills assessment and we find a profession that can work with the Israeli market,” she said. “Not everything is easy, and financial pressure also counts.”
Another issue is the less-than-rosy reputation Israel’s medical field has for many foreigners — one that Dr. Yael Saal of the country’s Leumit healthcare provider believes isn’t entirely deserved.
“I know the reputation that Israeli doctors have, like that they don’t earn much,” said Saal, who made the trip to France to reassure candidates. “There are a lot of assumptions and preconceived ideas among doctors. I wanted to try to correct these misconceptions and be able to say that we need doctors and that they can work and flourish professionally and personally.”
Many participants told The Times Of Israel that one of the main reasons for their desire to make aliyah was the climate of fear in France, which has been heightened since the October 7 Hamas-led massacre that saw 1,200 people butchered in southern Israel and another 253 abducted to the Gaza Strip.
“The war brought back this desire to make aliyah, but we especially want to go because of the climate of antisemitism that exists in France, particularly in Paris,” said Ronen, 31, a doctor who comes from the suburbs of Paris and plans to make the move with his wife. “It’s the country that’s in our hearts — we’re not going to lie to each other; there is not a Jew in the world who doesn’t have a connection with Israel.”
Urgent care
The search for mental health specialists may be the most urgent — and made all the more so since the onset of the war.
“The biggest challenge now is mental health, it’s becoming huge. We opened a special clinic just for the soldiers, but we also need people who can help the helper,” said Haviv, adding that if he could, he would immediately hire five psychiatrists and 20 psychologists.
One 48-year-old psychiatrist from Marseille who traveled to Paris specifically for this MedEx event could be one of them.
“Knowing that there is a shortage is on the one hand reassuring because we tell ourselves that we will have work, but on the other hand, imagining a hospital where there are very few doctors and where we will be overflowing with work is not the best,” said the doctor, who preferred to remain anonymous, but emphasized that she wants to immigrate to Israel in the coming months. “You have to weigh the pros and cons to avoid carrying an insane workload.”
The event was filled with young people as well, many of whom highlighted the mental stress they have been under since the October 7 atrocities, as already high levels of antisemitism continue to rise in France, imposing a climate of fear among the country’s Jews.
Twenty-four-year-old dental student Anaele hasn’t even finished her studies yet, but is already thinking of leaving.
“With everything that’s going on, I don’t want to stay here. I have always felt safer in Israel than anywhere in the world, even in times of war,” she said.
A strong police presence could be seen at the event, aimed at preventing disruptions such as the one that occurred at the last Israel immigration event this past December in Lyon, when dozens of anti-Israel protestors clashed with police outside the venue, temporarily imprisoning the attendees.
