Israel on Sunday marked Aliyah Day, honoring Diaspora Jews who chose to bind their fate with that Israel and make their home here.
According to the Immigration Absorption Ministry and the Jewish Agency, 35,586 aliyah files were opened in 2020 so far, with a 133% spike in requests from English-speaking countries, a 102% rise in requests from French-speaking countries, and a 31% increase in appeals from Latin American countries.
A notable increase in aliyah petitions has been noted since the global corona pandemic erupted. September alone saw an increase of 166% in the number of aliyah petitions from North America, compared to the same period last year, according to data from Nefesh B'Nefesh, the aliyah organization dealing with North America.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
Since January, 15,162 Jews emigrated to Israel. Some 5,000 olim came from Russia, 2,000 moved to Israel from Ukraine and the United States each, as did 1,700 French Jews. Argentina and Brazil each saw about 400 immigrants arrive here. The olderst immigrant to Israel this year was 97 years old, while the youngest was just 20 days old.
Since Israel's inception in 1948, about 3,316,000 immigrants have made aliyah.
Asher Daniels, made aliyah from Stamford, Connecticut, in September 2020.
"I'm happy that things are finally starting to open up because coming to Israel during a lockdown was difficult. Originally, I planned to live in Haifa, but seeing that there are so many opportunities both professionally and personally in Tel Aviv, I decided to relocate there. At first, I was disappointed by this turn of events, but if living in Israel has taught me anything, it's that it's important to roll with the punches.
"Now that I'm here, though, I'm hoping for success and that my siblings and parents follow suit and join me. Professionally, I've spent my entire career advocating for Israel, but now that I'm actually here, I'm interested in broadening my horizons and seeing what the private sector has to offer. Either way, I'm embracing the future with open arms."
Tamara Katsman came to Israel from Ukraine in September 2015.
"I came from a town in Ukraine that didn't have that many Jews and was rife with anti-Semitism. Because of this, I always knew that I was going to move and find my home in Israel. It was when I went on Birthright that I saw that living here was really possible.
"I'm now enrolled in a preparatory program at Hebrew University and I plan to study public relations and psychology. It's a little hard here sometimes, to be honest. The mentality, climate, cultural norms are all different. But this difficulty all stems not from the move itself, but because I'm out of my comfort zone. But I wouldn't trade it for the world. In the five years I've been here, I've enjoyed more life experiences than my entire 20 years in Ukraine. After my degree, I hope to work as an emissary who can bring more Jews from Ukraine to Israel so they can see for themselves what Israel has to offer."
"I've always loved Israel and even considered living here 20 years ago, but the timing and circumstances weren't right," said Esther Goldenberg, who made aliyah from Silver Spring, Maryland, earlier this month.
"Much to my surprise, making Aliyah during the pandemic was perfect timing. My eldest was in college and my youngest daughter was going to begin third grade studying remotely. As a writer, I could work from anywhere. So I decided this was the best time to move and it feels as if the universe and Hashem all worked together to support this decision.
"With my daughter in tow, we took a big leap of faith and started our new life in Hanaton, a small kibbutz in the North. I packed up my life in the US quite quickly, so quickly, in fact, that I didn't even break the news to many people. As closures and restrictions affect our lives - now more than ever - I wanted to be part of a community that's close-knit. As I start my life here, I'm looking forward to trusting my decision to come, being proactive about building the best life for me and my daughter as a single mother, and accepting the support from this amazing community I now call home."
Ary Scharovsky, who came to Israel from Argentina in 2018, said that when he started thinking about moving away from Argentina, "I considered moving to the United States. I even passed all the medical exams that would allow me to be a doctor there. But when I went on Birthright and saw that those very same exams would certify me to be a doctor here in Israel, that option started to seem much more appealing. After all, I would be a citizen, instead of an outsider pushing his way in, which would be the case in the US.
"I was pleasantly surprised by how much I was accepted when I came here and acclimating was easy. I'm beyond satisfied with my decision, even as much of my time earlier this year was spent treating patients suspected of having Covid in the emergency room at Ichilov Medical Center. As for dealing with Covid on a personal level, as an oleh chadash, I was prepared to be isolated. After all, I came here alone with no family. So I don't think I lost much during this Covid time, in some ways, it was even easier for me. But whenever things feel hard or uncertain, I keep reminding myself how much better it is to be here and then all the stress goes away."
Thirty-three-year-old Rafi Spiewak lives in Kibbutz Ramot Menashe in northern Israel. He moved to Israel in 2017 from Boston with his wife and two children. Since then another child has been born.
Spiewak, a social media specialist, grew up a Zionist, and his family would visit Israel every year. He found steady employment during the nationwide lockdown imposed in mid-March when he was hired by Plus500. He didn't even meet his coworkers until July, as he was working from home.
"As an American immigrant people have a tendency to think that you come with money and had a comfortable, good life. Everyone is surprised and happy to hear how much the life of a new immigrant here is better and happier here than in America, he said.
Frankie Sadoun from Washington DC, had been living in Israel for four years.
A marketing and outreach specialist at Natural Intelligence, the 28-year-old's father is an Israeli and she used to visit Israel every summer. After completing her bachelor's degree in political science she went on to earn her master's degree at Tel Aviv University, this time in conflict resolution.
Sadoun said she grew up with many Israelis around and has always "loved the vibe here, the honesty of Israelis. Tel Aviv – there is no city like it in the world."
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
