The program is the initiative of Nefesh B’Nefesh, an organization that seeks to facilitate mass Aliyah [immigration to Israel] from North America by expediting bureaucratic processing, offering financial aid and providing social services and employment assistance.
“Until now, many people have flown from Israel back to America or Canada to make Aliyah with the assistance of Nefesh B’Nefesh,” Bridgitte Raven of NBN told Arutz-7. “But now, if you have already arrived home to the Jewish state, there is really no reason not to declare Aliyah and let NBN help you through all the bureaucracy.”
Raven, who is spearheading the effort to turn North American tourists into olim [new immigrants], is traveling around Israel for the cause. She is speaking to students studying in seminaries and universities, as well as tracking down potential olim via English-language email lists in Israel. She also speaks regularly with rabbis and community leaders about individual cases of Jews who have decided to stay in Israel for good.
One of the most obvious benefits of ‘Express Aliyah,’ in light of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s resignation and the dissolution of the Knesset, is that the process will take as little as three weeks to complete. A new oleh can therefore receive his or her new ID card in time to vote in the coming elections. The Aliyah process usually takes around four months.
Not everybody is eligible for ‘Express Aliyah’ - but even they may still begin their Aliyah process without leaving Israel. Returning minors, those who served in the Machal volunteer IDF program, and those who converted to Judaism while in Israel are all unable to take advantage of ‘Express Aliyah.’
Whether express or not, Nefesh B’Nefesh has changed the process of Aliyah irreversibly, cutting out line-waiting and countless visits to government offices. NBN has "facilitated hassle-free Aliyah,” said Raven, who herself made Aliyah three years ago and lives in the Gush Etzion town of N'vei Daniel.
Click here to sign up for 'Express Aliyah' or to download an application - containing all the necessary Ministry of Interior immigration documents - or just to find out more. Questions can be emailed to: bridgitte@nbn.org.il
Organizers urge those interested to hurry, as the initiative will only be available until the end of the year and will not be repeated in the near future.