Over 3,500 Americans and Canadians immigrate to Israel in 2018

“It has been an incredible privilege to have assisted thousands of Olim this past year in fulfilling their Zionist dreams and we are looking forward to helping many more newcomers in 2019.”

By SAMUEL THROPE
Updated: JANUARY 1, 2019 04:46
Birthright Israel participants show their love for Israel (photo credit: SYLVIE ROSOKOFF)
Birthright Israel participants show their love for Israel
(photo credit: SYLVIE ROSOKOFF)
A total of 3,546 new immigrants came to Israel from the US and Canada in 2018, according to a year-end assessment released by Nefesh b'Nefesh on Monday.
The new immigrants from North America join the more than 29,600 new immigrants who made Israel their home over the past year, as the Jewish Agency for Israel had earlier announced.
Nefesh b'Nefesh, a cooperation with Israel's Ministry of Immigration and Absorption, the Jewish Agency and the JNF, organized 16 special immigration flights for 381 families in 2018, as well as for 1,579 single individuals, many of whom volunteered for the IDF.
The immigrants ranged in age from seven weeks to 97 years, coming from New York, California, New Jersey, Florida and other states and provinces.
“In addition to our efforts to help those making aliyah in 2018, it has been extremely important for us to respond to national challenges by bringing physicians to help with the local doctor shortage and through new olim who are developing the country’s northern and southern regions," said Rabbi Yehoshua Fass, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Nefesh B’Nefesh.
“It has been an incredible privilege to have assisted thousands of olim this past year in fulfilling their Zionist dreams and we are looking forward to helping many more newcomers in 2019," said Fass.
The largest number of immigrants overall in 2018, more than 10,500, came from Russia, a 45% increase from the previous year.
“I congratulate the increase in the number of immigrants to Israel,” said Jewish Agency chairman Isaac Herzog. “Every Jew who immigrates and establishes his or her home completes another piece of the amazing mosaic of the people of Israel in its historical homeland.”