North American Aliyah Highest Since 1983

Michael Landsberg, the executive director of the Jewish Agency's North American Aliyah Delegation, said that 2005 is the third year running that has seen a consistent increase in the number of North American immigrants to Israel. The central factor in immigrants' satisfaction with their immigration is employment, with 50% of immigrants who have found jobs in their profession being very satisfied. Most, 64%, say friends and family in Israel, rather than agencies, helped them in their absorption.

Awaiting departure, New Yorker Natan Schwartz told reporters, “We believe that support for Israel is important at all times and moving there is the ultimate way to display that commitment.” Nineteen-year old Esther Mendelsohn of Toronto commented during her flight, “I always knew that I wanted to make aliyah. It was never a matter of if but of when. I really want to contribute. People don’t understand that you don’t have to live in Israel, you get to live in Israel.”