Nefesh B'Nefesh, the organization dedicated to revitalizing Aliyah from the U.S., Canada and the UK, has launched a new online business directory, providing English speakers in Israel with listings of services offered nationwide as well as special discounts for Olim (immigrants) who came to Israel with Nefesh B'Nefesh. The site highlights businesses operated by Nefesh B'Nefesh Olim and enables all Israeli businesses to advertise their services to Olim free of charge.

The website contains a services directory in English as well as a yellow-pages type listing of businesses and services run by Nefesh B'Nefesh Olim. Businesses not owned by Nefesh B'Nefesh Olim that wish to be listed on the site may also do so free of charge, provided they offer discounts to new immigrants. The directory is intended to help people obtain a wide range of services at the most affordable prices, including gardening, h
["It's a] win-win situation for any Oleh or business owner in Israel."
ealth, shopping and even party-planning. Additionally, the site enables Olim to connect with American Jewish business owners who may be interested in hiring Israeli employees.

Nefesh B'Nefesh says it intends to provide this service to the entire English- speaking community in Israel in the future. A special Aliyah gift shop has also been included on the site, allowing users to have gifts such as specialty food baskets, Judaica items and floral arrangements delivered to family and friends living in Israel.

“The exciting part of this new Nefesh B’Nefesh endeavor is that it enables us to help our Olim connect with Israeli service providers in a far more efficient way than ever before,” said Danny Oberman, Executive Vice President of Israel Operations for Nefesh B’Nefesh. “This new service opens up a whole new gateway to information and services at no charge, which is a win-win situation for any Oleh or business owner in Israel,” he said.  

The Nefesh B'Nefesh website provides information and resources on education, employment, financial planning, ulpans for learning Hebrew and a wide variety of other topics useful for Olim.

Nefesh B'Nefesh's second summer chartered aliyah [immigration] flight, through El AL airlines, arrived in Israel Tuesday morning [July 31]. The flight brought 200 new immigrants from North America. The oldest immigrant is 90 and the youngest is four months old. Sixteen US states and 3 Canadian provinces were represented. The new immigrants will be moving to 28 cities throughout Israel.

Among the immigrants was Kevin Schreiber of New York, a pediatrician who arrived in Israel with his wife and three children. Schreiber brought with him a 250-year-old Torah [Gen.–Deut.] scroll which originated in an ancient Krakow synagogue. The scroll was hidden in an ancient books' library during World War II and forgotten there, until a relative of Schreiber found it during a trip to Poland in 1988 and decided to take it with him to the United States. The scroll finally landed in its final destination Tuesday.

Over the course of the summer, more than 2,200 North American and British Jews are expected make aliyah through Nefesh B'Nefesh on seven specially-chartered and eight group aliyah flights on El Al.

(By Ynetnews.com, July 31, 2007)
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3431907,00.html

Prayer Focus
Praise God that He keeps bringing His people home. Praise God that the aliyah from North America has finally begun. Pray that more will come before something happens that would force them to leave under duress.

Scripture
“Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the Gentiles, to give thanks to Your holy name, to triumph in Your praise” (Psalm 106:47).

Following a recent visit to Nefesh B’Nefesh (NBN) by Absorption Minister Ze'ev Boim, ministry representatives from around the country participated in a number of intense strategic meetings Wednesday to further coordinate with Nefesh B’Nefesh before the arrival of this summer’s aliyah flights.

Aliyah (lit. "going up") is the Hebrew term for Jews returning to their ancestral homeland, and Nefesh B'Nefesh (Souls United) is the leading organization facilitating aliyah from western countries, primarily from the United States.

Over 50 Absorption Ministry officials came to NBN offices Wednesday to work on making aliyah easier and more successful.

While individuals on the NBN staff often meet Absorption officials for work meetings, Wednesday's meeting of the minds was the first of its kind in which over 50 Absorption Ministry officials came to the NBN offices to brainstorm and seek ways to make aliyah less bureaucratic and more successful.

Batsheva Reuveni, Administrative Director of Absorption Ministry, began the summit with the announcement, "This meeting is for the benefit of all potential olim (Jews immigrating to Israel). We see Nefesh B'Nefesh as a blessing, and it is highly important to conduct these meetings to ensure the success of the arriving olim.”

Danny Oberman, Nefesh B’Nefesh’s VP of Israel Operations commented, “Since Nefesh B’Nefesh is facilitating more than 25% of Israel’s total aliyah this year, we have begun coordinating in-depth work meetings with various government bodies to pave the path for the next wave of Western aliyah.”

After a general session to review precisely what the government ministry and NBN do, the attendees broke up into smaller groups for work and planning meetings.

Noya Govrin, NBN's Director of Absorption, explained that cooperation between NBN and the Absorption Ministry cuts a lot of red tape. "We collect all the necessary data needed for the issuance of an Oleh ID Card, and ensure that the card is printed before landing. Upon landing in Israel, it takes 20 seconds for a new immigrant to get the card," says Govrin.

Noya Govrin, NBN's Director of Absorption

Most of the new immigrants from western countries settle in Jerusalem, Beit Shemesh, and the coastal plain. The regional offices of the Absoprtion Ministry allot special days and hours to the NBN olim to swiftly issue vouchers for free ulpan classes (for learning the Hebrew language) and deal with other issues.

Nefesh B’Nefesh is facilitating more than 25% of Israel’s total aliyah this year

Govrin says that the meetings Wednesday dealt also with the Absorption Ministry's Student Authority which offers assistance to olim in obtaining a university degree.

The coordination extends to other fields including employment, retraining courses, and the social integration of olim in Israel.

For example, NBN has regional representatives and social workers who contact the new immigrants once a month to inquire about their adjustment to Israel, the acclimation of their children at school, etc. NBN also organizes singles meetings and support groups. The government officials heard about these initiatives and will consider copying them to other parts of the country where there are few western olim and thus little NBN representation.

Some 2,200 olim are scheduled to make Israel their home this summer via NBN's seven charter flights and eight group flights (groups of NBN immigrants on regular El Al flights). By the end of 2007, NBN will have brought over 3,500 olim during the year from the US, Canada, and the UK.