Nefesh B'Nefesh's Thanksgiving Happy Hour
Nefesh B'Nefesh's Thanksgiving Happy HourYonit Schiller

Over 100 young professionals, mostly olim (immigrants to Israel) from the US, gathered at BeerBazaar in the Jerusalem Shuk (open-air marketplace) to celebrate a somewhat (un)traditional Thanksgiving Happy Hour, hosted by Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael and Nefesh B’Nefesh.

The event included the ubiquitous stuffed turkey, traditional side dishes, cold Israeli boutique beer - and networking opportunities.

Many American olim continue to celebrate Thanksgiving each year - without the vacation days they had in the USA - because they see it as a universal day of thanking G-d for His bounty, begun by the Pilgrims who celebrated their first harvest after the American Indians showed them which foods to hunt, plant and eat. They actually tried to time it to match the biblical holiday of Tabernacles, which is a harvest holiday in addition to its other aspects.

Rina Levin, a recent immigrant from New Jersey who attended the event, said, "It's really hard to be so far from your family, especially during holidays. It makes me really happy that there are events like this, offering myself and other olim a homelike feeling."

The Happy Hour is an example of increased Nefesh B’Nefesh expansion in post-Aliyah (post-immigration) programming, designed to help new immigrants acclimate, integrate and thrive in Israel.

Nefesh B'Nefesh's activities can be broken down into four key areas: "Life in Israel," "Employment," "Israel Exploration," and "Social Events." The organization has helped over 50,000 Jews make aliya, and claims a retention rate of over 90%.

Last month Nefesh B’Nefesh and Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael launched "Go Beyond," an initiative to assist new Olim in maximizing the opportunities offered in Israel’s periphery and Jerusalem.

Nefesh B'Nefesh's Thanksgiving Happy Hour
Nefesh B'Nefesh's Thanksgiving Happy HourYonit Schiller