Nefesh B’Nefesh reports its highest-ever number of applicants for immigration

Group reports highest rate of North Americans applying to move to Israel since 2002; immigration minister predicts 90,000 new arrivals in 2020, compared to 35,000 last year

By Marcy Oster 25 June 2020, 1:08 am

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Illustrative: New immigrants to Israel stepping off the plane at Ben Gurion Airport. (Courtesy Nefesh B'Nefesh/via JTA)

JTA — Nefesh B’Nefesh, an organization that helps North Americans immigrate to Israel, said it has received the highest number of applications since its founding nearly two decades ago.

In the first half of June, over 900 applications have been submitted to the group for making the move to Israel, or aliyah, compared to 399 in June 2019.

The organization, in conjunction with The Jewish Agency for Israel, Keren Kayemet L’Yisrael and JNF-USA, has scheduled 14 group flights for North American Jews moving to Israel this summer. The organizations signed a contract with El Al Airlines to provide the flights.

Last week, Immigration Minister Pnina Tamano-Shata told the Knesset Committee for Immigration, Absorption and Diaspora Affairs that Israel can expect the arrival of 90,000 immigrants, or olim, by the end of 2021, compared to 35,463 in 2019.

AFP reported that since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, there have been three times as many requests for aliyah from French Jews as last year.