Go North, $10 Million Aliyah Project Urges

A $10 million initiative urging Jews to immigrate to Israel’s North was launched.

Nefesh B’Nefesh, a nonprofit that provides incentives to Anglo-Jews to make aliyah, will work with the New Jersey-based Russell Berrie Foundation to help more than 1,000 Jews make the move over the next three years, the organizations announced Monday. The project also will be funded in part by Israeli philanthropists and the nation’s government.

According to Nefesh B’Nefesh, the groups will provide grants of up to $25,000 to make the move, as well as subsidies for transportation or car purchases, employment services and help with social networking.

It is a strategic project, Nefesh B’Nefesh and Israeli government officials say.

“The Ministry for the Development of the Negev and the Galilee sees the absorption of olim from Western countries in Israel’s Northern region as a top priority in order to strengthen the existing population and bring an added vibrancy to the this beautiful area,” said Yaakov Edry, Israel’s minister of the Development of the Negev and Galilee.

“The ministry will do all that is in its power to ensure these pioneer olim will integrate and acclimate in the best possible way. We allocated extensive resources to make sure they have a high quality of life, good education and can easily find jobs,” he said. “This is a vital endeavor, today more than ever.”