Record number of Brazilian Jews moving to Israel

A record number of Brazilian Jews immigrated to Israel last year, Brazilian media reported.

The reports were about the arrival to Israel in 2015 of 463 immigrants from Brazil – the highest number recorded over the past 10 years, according to Israeli official data.

The in-depth report on this movement last week by Globo TV came amid the country’s worst economic crisis in a century. Among Israel’s pull factors, the television station listed Israel’s social benefits for newcomers and other citizens, as well as job opportunities.

Jewish immigration to Israel, or aliyah, from Brazil in 2015 had increased that year by 41 percent over the 308 Brazilians who immigrated to Israel in 2014. The third highest figure since 2005 for newcomers from Brazil was 281 newcomers, in 2007.

The desire to flee Brazil’s severe urban violence atmosphere featured as a major reason for Brazilian Jews to claim Israeli citizenship under the Law of Return in the report by Jornal Nacional, Globo TV’s primetime news program.

Sao Paulo-born journalist Fabie Spivack said she feels safe in Ashdod, where she “has never heard of violence” and “no one approaches you to rob you randomly.”