Nefesh B’Nefesh co-founder and chairman Tony Gelbart, speaking at the Jerusalem Post Miami Summit, said that interest in aliyah has actually increased since the beginning of the war in October 2023. “Having a 100% increase says something to the Jewish people and for the Jewish people,” he noted.
Gelbart added that interest in aliyah has come from throughout the United States, and olim are moving to different locations throughout Israel. “The Golan Heights, Beersheba, Eilat – they’re moving everywhere. You can feel it.” Since its inception, Nefesh B’Nefesh has brought 85,000 new immigrants to Israel, with a retention rate of over 93%.
In recent years, Israel has been experiencing a critical shortage of doctors, and Nefesh B’Nefesh has been working to increase the number of doctors making aliyah. “We have an initiative now with the Ministries of Health and of Aliyah and Integration to bring 2,000 physicians over the next five years to Israel from all over the world,” said Gelbart. To that end, Nefesh B’Nefesh has held ‘Med-Ex’ events in the United States, Europe, and South America, to attract more medical professionals to Israel. “We identify a problem, and then we fix the problem,” said Gelbart. The organization has also provided significant assistance, together with FIDF, to young olim who make Aliyah and are required to serve in the IDF, helping them as lone soldiers to navigate that process.
Gelbart added that olim from the US are “loving and running to Israel” because they are fulfilling their dreams. “It’s less complicated to make Aliyah than it was twenty years ago,” said Gelbart, who pointed out that immigrants to Israel are a valuable national investment. “Not only do they bring their skills, but they’re bringing their money as well. They’re buying houses, buying bread, going to school, and buying cars. It really is in Israel’s national interest, both in human capital and economic value. It’s a great return on investment to bring olim.”