By: Deborah Fineblum – Jewish News Syndicate; jns.org
Applications for aliyah in the spring of the coronavirus are breaking records, as Jews in the Diaspora see Israel as a safe haven.
In a time of darkness, a time of pandemic, pandemonium and power struggles, a thin ray of light can be seen in the Jewish world.
The results are in: In May, the number of North Americans applying to make aliyah was double what it was last year at this time (814 vs. 424). In fact, last month was the biggest ever in the 19-year history of Nefesh B’Nefesh, the nonprofit that with the help of Israel’s government and the Jewish Agency for Israel has already shepherded some 60,000 North American Jews to new homes in Israel.
“We’ve seen small bumps, but nothing like this,” says Marc Rosenberg, Nefesh vice president for Diaspora partnerships. “What we saw this past month is absolutely remarkable. And while they may not be major numbers, they are major increases.”
https://www.jns.org/in-an-era-of-global-uncertainty-record-numbers-of-jews-seek-to-return-home/