Nefesh B’Nefesh, in cooperation with the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, the Jewish Agency, KKL-JNF, and the Jewish National Fund-USA, expects 2,282 North Americans to make aliyah this summer. Last week, the groups welcomed 95 new olim, including Gal Gur Lavi, 18, from Closter; Abigail Rasol, 20, from Fort Lee; Yael and David Rubinstein and their two children, from Teaneck, and Rabbi Avi and Leah Herzog from Fair Lawn. The flight included 35 families and singles, ranging in age from 1 to 80, from New Jersey, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Georgia, Texas, and Quebec.

“Summer is always the busiest season for aliyah, and this year is no exception, with over 2,000 olim choosing to make Israel their home in eight weeks,” said Rabbi Yehoshua Fass, Nefesh B’Nefesh’s co-founder and executive director. “Nearly half of the olim projected to make aliyah each year arrive during the summer as it’s a natural time period to make the transition to a new country before the school year begins.”

The first group will move to Israeli cities including Givat Shmuel, Modi’in, Tel Aviv, Beit Shemesh, and Ma’alot; 28 will move to Jerusalem.

There were a few olim on this flight who plan to join the IDF as lone soldiers. One of them, Gal Gur Lavi, is the daughter of parents who both served in the Israeli Air Force. When asked why she is making aliyah and planning on joining the IDF, she said “Israel is my home.” For more information, go to www.nbn.org.il.