http://(IsraelNN.com) More than 1,800 North American Jews will move to Israel this summer through Nefesh B’Nefesh in close cooperation with the Jewish Agency for Israel. On July 13th, 2005 two separate chartered El Al flights with some 500 olim (immigrants) from the U.S. & Canada will arrive simultaneously, marking the largest arrival of North American Jews in Israel’s history.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Vice Premier Shimon Peres, Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, Finance Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Jewish Agency Chairman Ze’ev Bielski and other officials will greet the first of this summer’s arrivals.
Of the 4,000 newcomers who came to Israel via Nefesh B’Nefesh since 2002, 99% have remained. The summer 2005 olim will originate from 31 US States and 6 Canadian provinces.