(IsraelNN.com) Aliyah, or Jewish immigration to the Land of Israel, rose from western countries in the first four months of 2009, according to the Jewish Agency, the government body responsible for worldwide Aliyah.

In total, 749 people made Aliyah from western Europe between January and April, a positive change of 20 percent from the same period of time in 2008.

The greatest jump came in Aliyah from Great Britain - 201 British citizens arrived in Israel, a growth of 53 percent from the previous year. The Jewish Agency attributed the rise to a British campaign entitled, “Aliyah – find your way home.”

Aliyah rose from other English-speaking countries as well. Five hundred and sixty-five people made Aliyah from North America, a growth of 12 percent from 2008, while 107 immigrants arrived from South Africa, representing a positive change of 22 percent.

“The Jewish Agency views Aliyah from western countries as a central tenet of its operations,” General Director Eli Cohen said. “We will continue to invest a large amount of resources into absorbing immigrants in Israel.”