Hundreds of Jews from North America are immigrating to Israel this summer, arriving on special charter flights. They are getting a warm welcome.
A group of 238 Jews from the United States and Canada left the comforts of home for a new life in the State of Israel.
While about a million Jews have immigrated to Israel from the former Soviet Union, only a few have been willing to leave behind the affluence of America and Europe. But an organization called Nefesh to Nefesh or Soul to Soul is trying to change that. The organization, which is funded by Jews and Evangelical Christians, plans to bring nearly 4,000 Jews from the U.S., Canada and Britain by the end of the year.
In this group, some 55 young men and women will soon be serving in the Israeli army.
Israel also sees “aliyah” or immigration as a way to counter the demographic threat posed by a higher birthrate among Israeli Arabs and Palestinians. Netanyahu noted that for the first time in 2,000 years, there will soon be more Jews in Israel than in the Diaspora.