Efrat, Israel

It was truly a magical moment. On our first Shabbat after making aliyah last winter, we arrived at Shirat David, Rabbi Shlomo Katz’s shul in Efrat, and were showered with handshakes, hugs, and dancing around the bimah by the packed shul, as they sang in unison, V’shavu banim following an aliyah.

Then, on the last two Shabbatot in July, three different new olim had their own magical moments. So many olim in one shul, in one community in Israel, is quite rare. Yet such occasions are becoming more frequent. Nefesh B’Nefesh – the wonderful  handholding Israeli organization that helps new olim navigate the vast Israel systems and requirements, prior to and during their aliyah and for potentially years after – has remarkable statistics showing that over 4,000 new olim from the U.S. and Canada have moved to Israel since October 7^th. That includes 2,000 just this summer, on over 14 group flights. Additionally, there have been over 13,000 requests to opening aliyah files since October 7, 2023, an increase of 76% compared to the corresponding period last year. Our own aliyah in February was part of this record-setting trend and the very positive development that has no end in sight.

After 66 years of living in Baltimore – after 29 consecutive years of serving on community boards and watching the tremendous growth and changes – it is time to say good-bye and thank you. Adriane and I are making aliyah. There is so much to be happy for, yet much to ponder.