About 2,700 repatriates from North America moved to Israel since the start of 2026
Since the start of 2026, about 2,700 new repatriates from the United States and Canada have moved to Israel. Nefesh B'Nefesh forecasts that their number will exceed 4,000 by the end of the year, the Jerusalem Post reports.
According to Nefesh B'Nefesh, more than 2,200 repatriates from North America arrived in Israel during the summer, including approximately 480 families. More than 1,100 people made aliyah in August; the organization called the month one of the most successful in its history.
One flight from New York that arrived in Israel on Thursday morning carried about 40 new repatriates. In total, six flights brought approximately 150 people from North America to the country that day.
Age and plans of the newcomers
The average age of the repatriates is 29. They include about 1,100 single men and women, approximately 250 retirees, and an estimated 700 children and teenagers. Another approximately 300 young people are expected to serve in the Israel Defense Forces or complete national service.
The repatriates come from New York, New Jersey, Florida, California, Maryland, Illinois, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Texas and Georgia. They plan to settle, among other places, in Jerusalem, Beit Shemesh, Ra'anana, Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut, Tel Aviv and Haifa. About 650 people are to settle in communities in the Negev and Galilee under the Zinuk Ba'Aliyah program.
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Stories of repatriates
The couple Ilan and Steven Snyder, both 67, moved from New York State to a rented apartment in Jerusalem's Arnona neighborhood. Two of their three daughters had already made aliyah earlier.
Eleonor Kotler, 43, from Minneapolis, left her job at the headquarters of the Target retail chain and plans to live in Ramat HaSharon. She said that after the October 7, 2023 attack, she repeatedly came to Israel as a volunteer and later met her fiancé there.
Roni, 18, from Manhattan, whose full name was not disclosed by the editorial staff, is to complete a six-month pre-army program in Kiryat Ye'arim after moving and then plans to enlist. The family of Chava and Akiva Lessin, with three children, is moving from Virginia to Modi'in; the couple calls the decision religious and ideological.
Nefesh B'Nefesh, founded in 2002, says it has helped more than 100,000 Jews from North America make aliyah. The organization works in partnership with Israel's Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, the Jewish Agency, KKL and JNF-USA.
