Residents of the community of Yakir in Samaria are currently working to attract as many Jews as possible from the United States and Canada who plan to immigrate to Israel, and persuade them to establish their home in Yakir.
Shomron Regional Council Director Amitai Roitman participated in the Nefesh B'Nefesh immigration (“aliyah”) fair that took place this week in New York, where participants who plan to immigrate to Israel were offered counseling and guidance services on a variety of issues related to their immigration and absorption in Israel.
"We are already in our fourth year of activity for the absorption of immigrants in Samaria," Roitman told Arutz Sheva. "We have communities that have already absorbed immigrants, and this year Yakir took upon itself the task of absorbing a new American community. There are houses specifically designed for this purpose. We hope to bring some families as a 'gateway' to the next families who will come from North America to Yakir. "
Roitman was asked what Samaria has to offer the new immigrants, and replied that "Samaria has supportive communities, first of all. In every community the residents are geared and ready to help with absorption. It's very Israeli, and the immigrant children get used to things very quickly. In addition, the houses are not as expensive as in Jerusalem or Beit Shemesh, and this creates a real opportunity to live close to the center of the country and the places of employment - at reasonable prices. "
The American Jews who approach Yakir's booth at the New York Immigration Fair ask exactly where the community is located, and are interested in the housing situation..
"In France they already know Yakir, but in North America they don’t yet. They ask us where they can work, what kind of population lives in Yakir, what religious people are there and how much a house costs. They hear reasonable prices and are very excited," Roitman said.