(IsraelNN.com) Nefesh B’Nefesh (NBN), an organization dedicated to revitalizing North American and British Jewish immigration to Israel, will welcome its first summer flight filled with new immigrants at Ben Gurion International Airport this Thursday, July 10.

The flight will bring 220 new immigrants from North America to Israel, ranging in age from 87 years old to two months. Tracy Levy, formerly of Houston, Texas who will be the 15,000th Olah (immigrant) to move to Israel with NBN, is also on Thursday’s flight.   
Photo: A previous year's welcome to NBN's new immigrants

This will be the first of thirteen flights expected to bring more than 2,000 Jews to the Jewish homeland over the course of the summer. The air transports are divided between eight fully chartered flights on El Al airlines and an additional five flights carrying Nefesh B’Nefesh immigrants onboard regular flights. 

NBN's aim is to facilitate aliyah (immigration to Israel) by minimizing the financial, professional, logistical and social obstacles that face Jews who wish to make Israel their home. It was founded in 2002 by Rabbi Yehoshua Fass and Tony Gelbart. With the organization’s wide range of assistance for immigrants, the percentage of North Americans making aliyah has jumped from 3 percent in 2000 to 16 percent in 2007. NBN offers assistance to new immigrants to Israel from English-speaking countries with financial aid, employment and social services, and pre- and post-aliya assistance programs. 

Leading Israeli dignitaries will attend the Thursday flight’s welcome ceremony, including Rehovot Chief Rabbi Simcha HaKohen Kook, former Knesset Member Geula Cohen, former Israeli Ambassador to the US Danny Ayalon, Immigration Ministry Director-General Erez Halfon, and NBN co-founders Rabbi Yehoshua Fass and Tony Gelbart.

While registration to attend the welcome ceremony is closed for Thursday's flight, the public is invited to attend the other summer flights; registration is available at the Nefesh B'Nefesh website.