The October 7 Hamas attack on Israel sparked an emotionally charged phenomenon: a new wave of Jews choosing to move to Israel despite the war, lack of safety, and numerous challenges.
According to Israel’s Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, from the war’s onset until the end of May 2024, 1,169 new immigrants arrived from the US and 587 from France. Remarkably, the number of new Israelis from America and France has not decreased compared to last year. The same period the previous year saw 1,321 immigrants from the US and 628 from France.
Marc Rosenberg, vice president of Diaspora partnerships at Nefesh B’Nefesh, a nonprofit organization that promotes and facilitates aliyah from North America, told The Media Line that Americans are now mainly moving to Israel for ideological reasons, although some are also coming for practical reasons.
“We’ve seen that a majority of North American Jews want to make their connection with Israel stronger. Therefore, those who were thinking about immigration to Israel have sped up their plans,” Rosenberg said.
People seem to be determined despite the insecurity that’s happening here. War increases passion for Israel—they want to be a part of the story.
“People seem to be determined despite the insecurity that’s happening here. War increases passion for Israel—they want to be a part of the story,” he continued.
An event for Israeli immigrants. (Gvahim)
According to Rosenberg, Nefesh B’Nefesh now sees three main groups of people immigrating to Israel: singles under the age of 30 who are coming to serve in the Israeli army or study in Israel; people who are 60+ and are coming to retire; and families.
We see an increase of people asking about serving in the army, which is fascinating considering the danger that is involved.
“We see an increase of people asking about serving in the army, which is fascinating considering the danger that is involved,” Rosenberg said.
Another reason that American Jews are immigrating to Israel is antisemitism, which has increased since the war in Gaza began, asserted Rosenberg. “It’s something that people are mentioning, but usually, it is not the main reason [for their move to Israel]. But surely, even a few antisemitic cases create a certain atmosphere,” he said.
Twenty-four-year-old Hadar Amar from California hadn’t thought about moving to Israel before last year, although her two older siblings moved to Israel six and nine years ago, respectively.
“I got my degree in the States and started working at a corporation. However, there was always a sense of loneliness. I just didn’t feel connected; in America, I felt like a stranger,” she told The Media Line.
In 2023, when Amar found herself in a romantic relationship with an Israeli, she started thinking about moving to the Jewish state. She got a job offer during the summer of 2023 and planned to make aliyah on October 18. But then the war happened.
“On the 7th of October, I was still in America with my family and boyfriend. He was visiting us at that time. As the war started, at first I was doubting my decision to come to Israel,” Amar explained. “Physically, I was in America, but my heart was in Israel,” she added.
Amar said that both her brother and boyfriend serve in the Israel Defense Forces.
“They were in reserves for weeks, and I decided to come to Israel and be with them. Talking to them with the difference in time zones was horrible. Being far from them was pure torture,” she said.
Amar came to Israel on November 6 and received Israeli citizenship on November 14. Amar’s mother decided to travel to Israel with her daughter to support her children and stayed there for five months.
“My parents understood that I wanted to be in Israel, although everyone was scared. They were trying to be as supportive as possible, but I know it was hard for them,” she shared.
Regarding antisemitism, Amar said that although it hasn’t affected her personally, she saw many instances of antisemitic while still in California.
“When the war started, I saw that a lot of people who I grew up with were sharing pro-Palestine posts on Instagram. I know that they just aren’t educated about the situation. There was nothing that personally targeted me. I did lose some friends, though, but I am okay with it because now I know that they weren’t my true friends,” she said.
In the middle of February 2024, Jacob Licht, 50, moved to Israel from the US with his wife Panina and their daughter Miriam.
Jacob, Panina and Miriam Licht. (Courtesy)
“One of our other daughters had already made aliyah and was serving in the Air Force in Israel. Now she is working for the year, and then she’ll start college in Israel,” Licht told The Media Line.
Licht explained that 22-year-old Miriam has a disability, and she gets better support in Israel than she does in the US.
“That’s why we had started the [immigration] process and decided that we want to move over the summer, but when October 7 happened, it accelerated the process in our minds,” he explained.
“Our desire was even stronger after October 7 because there was an attack on our people and our land,” Licht added.
Licht emphasized the importance of Jewish people having a homeland, a place to live unconditionally.
Working in the business side of biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, Licht expressed his deep desire to help Israel develop this industry.
“I’ve been doing this for 25 years, and some of my work has overlapped with Israeli companies, but I’ve mostly worked in the US, Europe, and Asia. I understood that Israel has a lot to offer, and I want to be a part of the Israeli ecosystem,” he explained.
“I want to be here and help companies grow through partnerships and alliances with the rest of the world,” he added.
Licht further shared that his niece is now finishing her first year at Columbia University.
“She couldn’t go to Pesach seder there as the police said that it would require protection… My daughter then said, ‘Isn’t it strange that we’re sitting in a restaurant in a country that’s actually at war, and it’s my cousin in America who is afraid?’” he recalled.
Besides the US, Israel has seen an influx of new immigrants coming from France despite the ongoing war.
Leon Cohen, the head of France projects in Gvahim, an organization that facilitates the successful integration of new immigrants into the Israeli labor market, explained to The Media Line that Zionism has been one of the most important reasons for French Jews to move to Israel during the war.
“In their hearts, October 7 activates and embraces the thought that Israel is their place. It’s the place where they have to go,” he said.
According to Cohen, in his professional experience, most of the Jews in France have felt an increased desire to come to Israel since the war began.
“They were hurt in their hearts, as if they, themselves, were in the Kibbutz Be’eri as if the attack happened to them. For many, it felt like something terrible was happening to their family members, and they just have to be in Israel,” he said.
Cohen also mentioned that for some new immigrants, ordinary household situations also motivated them to leave France and come to Israel. “They divorce or don’t like their job in France or want to change something in life. … Some people also immigrate to Israel simply because of it,” he said.
Meanwhile, Rebecca, who requested not to use her surname, immigrated to Israel from France in April 2024 with her husband Michael and their 3-year-old daughter after October 7.
Rebecca. (Courtesy)
Rebecca grew up in Morocco but felt a strong connection to Israel and the Jewish people. She converted to Judaism three years ago.
“I come from Sumerian parents. My path of life made me discover Judaism and feel very close to it and to the land of Israel. Conversion took years. It [the desire to convert] emerged when I was 17 years old, and I started the process when I was 21. I had to study for three years,” she explained.
Given that she hasn’t yet found unemployment in Israel, Rebecca said that she feels “new” to the country and is still experiencing the aliyah process.
Rebecca shared that although she and her husband had thought about moving to Israel before the Hamas attack on October 7, the events of that day inspired them to embark upon the immigration process faster.
“We felt that everything that’s happening in Israel was affecting us. We felt that for us it is better to be here,” she said.
Rebecca shared an example of antisemitism that she had experienced in France. Their nanny had refused to take care of her daughter once Rebecca told her that they were Jewish.
Another Zionist who made aliyah from France is 27-year-old Maxime Horwitz from Metz, who moved to Israel in mid-November 2023.
Maxime Horwitz. (Courtesy)
“It was planned at the beginning of mid-October. I really wanted to come, but because of the situation, my parents were really afraid. We had a clash because of my departure, and I agreed to wait, but no more than one month or a few weeks,” he told The Media Line.
Horwitz explained that he prefers to live in a Zionist environment.
“I feel that there is one place for Jewish people, and it’s in Israel. I just knew that I wanted to live in Israel,” he shared.
Today, despite the difficulties of immigration and the danger of war, Israel’s new immigrants felt that living in a Jewish state was a positive experience.
“Being in Israel now makes me feel safe, happy and connected. I’m with my loved ones. I’m also creating the life that I have been waiting for, for years. It’s not easy, especially having the people closest to you serving in the army, but this experience helped me to realize what it’s like to be a Jew in today’s society,” concluded Amar.