By Howard Flower, ICEJ Aliyah director

Despite more than a year of war in Israel, the nation took in over 30,000 Jewish immigrants in 2024. The International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ) played a key role in this remarkable stream of Aliyah, assisting over 3,000 olim (newcomers), or roughly ten percent. Heading into 2025, the ICEJ is poised to carry over our strong momentum in Aliyah into the new year by once again sponsoring flights for new immigrants, covering pre-flight needs, and providing integration assistance for newly-arrived Jewish families.

We fully expect our vital contributions to Aliyah to continue and even expand in 2025, with new initiatives targeting key regions and addressing emerging needs within the global Jewish community, which is currently facing a menacing wave of antisemitism.

JAFI Global Center expansion
Part of the ICEJ’s new and enhanced Aliyah support involves a crucial donation to the Jewish Agency’s Global Center, enabling it to extend operational hours and increase staffing capacity for dedicated English and French-speaking staff who are helping to process the surge in Aliyah applications from Western countries.

Arielle Di Porto, director of the JAFI Global Center, recently highlighted the critical nature of its new programs, while noting how they have been “going from crisis to crisis” in recent years. She explained that the Agency’s global call center has faced three major challenges: the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ukraine-Russia war, and now the conflict sparked by the October 7 massacre. Thus, the center’s call volume has increased dramatically, from 200 calls daily to over 1,000 during peak periods of these crises.

The Global Center’s expansion is expected to handle thousands of additional calls this coming year, directly supporting thousands of potential immigrant families by helping them complete their Aliyah applications. With 52 toll-free numbers worldwide, the center serves as the heart of the Jewish Agency’s vital Aliyah operations, providing support in multiple languages including English, French, Spanish, Russian, Portuguese, and Hebrew.

Rising Global Antisemitism driving Aliyah
A dramatic surge in global antisemitism followed the Hamas terror invasion from Gaza on October 7, 2023, prompting many Jewish families worldwide to seriously consider making Aliyah. The Anti-Defamation League reported over 3,283 antisemitic incidents in the United States alone between October 2023 and January 2024. In France, authorities documented a staggering 1,000% increase in antisemitic incidents during the same period, while South Africa has seen mounting tensions, particularly after its government filed a controversial genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

French Aliyah surges
France emerged as a particular focus of the ICEJ’s Aliyah efforts in 2024, with the ICEJ sponsoring flights for 500 French Jews moving to Israel. The number of Aliyah applications from France has increased by 500% since October 2023, with over 7,000 new applications filed in 2024 compared to just 1,200 the previous year. Surveys indicate that approximately 38% of French Jews – around 200,000 people – are now considering to make Aliyah to Israel. With your help, the ICEJ stands ready to sponsor Aliyah flights for even more French Jews in 2025.

Exodus of South African Jews
The deteriorating situation for Jews in South Africa has led to increased Aliyah from the “Rainbow Nation.”

The ICEJ sponsored several Aliyah flights for South African Jews in 2024, including recent groups from Cape Town and Johannesburg. The community faces challenges from rising antisemitism, economic instability, and the government’s strong anti-Israel stance, particularly regarding its genocide case against Israel at the ICJ. Please help us prepare to bring more South African Jews home to Israel.

Ethiopian Aliyah paused
In March 2024, the ICEJ sponsored flights for 61 Ethiopian Jews who had been rescued from tribal clashes in Gondar the previous summer.

Since the Ethiopian Aliyah was resumed by the Israeli government in 2015, the ICEJ has sponsored flights for 3,225 out of the 7,514 Ethiopian Jewish immigrants. According to recent Knesset reports, an additional 1,226 Ethiopian Jews are currently eligible for Aliyah. The ICEJ will be ready to assist once the door opens for this next group to finally reach Israel, which we expect to happen here in the new year.

Youth Aliyah programs flourish
The ICEJ maintained its strong support for JAFI’s Youth Aliyah programs in 2024, including the Naale and SELA initiatives which allow young Jewish students to complete their high school and university studies in Israel. Throughout the year, the ICEJ sponsors flights for numerous Jewish teenagers participating in these programs. The Naale program, which began in 1992, has seen impressive success rates, with approximately 90% of participants choosing to become Israeli citizens, and 60% of their parents often following suit.

The Christian Embassy also has been a key sponsor of summer and winter Aliyah camps for Jewish youths from Russian-speaking countries. In January, the ICEJ sponsored winter Aliyah camps in Latvia for 73 Jewish youth aged 12-17, including Ukrainian refugees now living in various European countries. The camps provide cultural immersion, education about Israel, and practical preparation for Aliyah.

Russian-Speaking Immigration continues
Despite the ongoing conflicts in Israel and Ukraine, Russian-speaking Jews continue to comprise about 70% of worldwide Aliyah. The ICEJ has been particularly active in supporting these immigrants, many of whom are coming from Russia, Ukraine, and other former Soviet republics. The ICEJ has supported visa applications, pre-Aliyah logistics, and integration support. Nearly 20,000 Russian-speaking Jews made Aliyah this past year.

Surge in Western Aliyah
The statistics paint a striking picture of increasing Aliyah interest among Jews in Western nations. France has seen a 300% increase in Aliyah files opened since October 7 last year, with applications rising from 400 to 1,700 in comparable periods. North America has experienced a 90% increase, while the United Kingdom shows a 40% rise amid growing concerns over antisemitism.

Di Porto from JAFI emphasized the severity of the situation in France, where antisemitic incidents have increased by 1,000% since October 7. “In the three months from October 7, there are more attacks than in the three previous years,” she noted. Significantly, 60% of these incidents involve violent attacks, which are occurring across the country and not just in major cities.

German Jewish Community response
In Germany, the Jewish Agency has adapted its approach to meet growing challenges and opportunities. Aliyah inquiries and file openings have increased compared to previous years. The ICEJ has supported successful Aliyah initiatives in Germany, including five pre-immigration seminars in Hamburg, Munich, Duisburg, Leer and Magdeburg, each attracting many participants.

A particularly moving event in Duisburg brought together 400 participants from multiple communities, featuring Major Arye Sharuz Shalicar, an Iranian-born Jewish immigrant to Israel who now serves as commander of the IDF spokesperson’s Europe desk. These efforts have contributed to 170 people making Aliyah from Germany in 2023 and 146 in early 2024, with an additional 38 high school students participating in the Naale Academy program. We anticipate more German Jews will be needing our help with Aliyah in 2025.

Global Impact and Future Outlook
Jewish Agency chairman Gen. Doron Almog has forecasted a potential wave of immigration of up to one million Jews in coming years, largely driven home by the rising global antisemitism. The Jewish Agency’s Board of Governors has set a target of bringing 300,000 olim in the next five years, building on the successful absorption of over 200,000 immigrants between 2019 and 2023.

In 2025, the ICEJ is looking to build on our comprehensive Aliyah efforts from this past year, which included:
– Sponsoring over 1,000 Aliyah flights;
– Assisting more than 3,000 new immigrants during pre-flight preparation;
– Supporting multiple Youth Aliyah programs, such as Naale and Sela;
– Organizing summer and winter camps for Jewish youth (our latest Aliyah youth camp began on December 25 to mark Hanukkah);
– Facilitating Jewish festivals and cultural events; and
-Supporting newly arrived Jewish immigrants and their initial integration efforts.

The ICEJ continues to work closely with The Jewish Agency for Israel and other partners to facilitate successful Aliyah journeys, even during times of conflict. Despite the challenges posed by regional tensions and global antisemitism, the ICEJ’s commitment to supporting Jewish immigration to Israel remains unwavering.

“The most to be inspired is the young generation – they arrive first,” observed Gen. Almog, highlighting their role as pioneers in contemporary Aliyah. This new wave of immigration serves as a “growth engine” for Israel, contributing to various sectors including business, science, culture, healthcare and politics.

As 2025 begins, the ICEJ remains fully dedicated to its mandate of supporting the Jewish people in their prophetic return to their biblical homeland. Through the generous support of Christians worldwide, the ICEJ continues to play a vital role in this historic ingathering of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel, fulfilling ancient biblical promises even amid current challenges and conflicts. We are particularly thankful for generous donations to our Aliyah program from our national branches in South Africa, Australia and many other countries this past year.

The ICEJ invites you to partner with us in supporting the remarkable Aliyah efforts we are all witnessing in these difficult times. Each contribution helps make dreams a reality for Jewish families seeking to return home to Israel, particularly those escaping the renewed scourge of antisemitism. As the ICEJ often notes, this work is not just about physical relocation, but about fulfilling God’s prophetic purposes and ensuring the future of the Jewish people in their ancestral homeland.

Donate today at:  help.icej.org/aliyah

Main photo: Staff at JAFI Global Call Center (JAFI)