A special event for 80 new soldier Olim who will be drafted into the IDF after Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israel Independence Day), took place on Wednesday at the FIDF/Nefesh B’Nefesh Lone Soldiers Center in Jerusalem.

The soon-to-be Lone Soldiers hail from countries across the globe including Argentina, Australia, Belarus, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Ethiopia, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Moldova, the Netherlands, Peru, Russia, Switzerland, Turkmenistan, UK, South Africa, Sweden, Ukraine, Uruguay, USA, and Uzbekistan.

“I am so proud to see all these young men and women who made Aliyah with a personal mission to serve the State of Israel,” stated Minister of Immigrant Absorption Sofa Landver. “These young men and women help guarantee the continued existence of the State of Israel, and so we must guarantee to their success and integration into Israeli society. I wish you all a meaningful and productive service and most importantly that you come home safe and sound.”

At the event, soldiers were awarded grants to help with their transition and enjoyed a barbecue.

“While the country is preparing for Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut, the most Zionist days of the year, we are honored and proud to celebrate with these 80 young future soldiers who are about to join the IDF,” said Nefesh B’Nefesh Vice Chairman Erez Halfon. “These brave young men and women are the future of the State of Israel. All of them have made Aliyah to Israel with one main cause, which is to protect the Jewish Homeland, and we all salute them, and promise that we will help them to go through their service successfully and to act as their family and home.”

“The FIDF/Nefesh B’Nefesh program has assisted me every step of the way towards fulfilling my dream of serving in the IDF and serving and protecting my country,” said Eziz Halykov, a 21 year old Oleh from Turkmenistan. “Where I come from I had to hide my identity and now I am proud to be able to protect our Jewish State.”

Currently there are some 2,800 Lone Soldiers who made Aliyah without their parents, and are serving in a range of positions in the IDF. For these idealistic soldiers, the draft process is a challenging and intense experience that often involves a difficult process of adapting to both military service, and an independent lifestyle in Israel.

At first glance, March 31 is not a day that particularly stands out in Jewish memory, but it is actually a day of significance.

In 1492, the Alhambra Decree (also known as the Edict of Expulsion) was signed by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, which led to the expulsion of all Jews from Spain 3 months later on Tisha B’Av 1492.

Some Jews at the time also went into hiding as Crypto-Jews (Conversos). Many went to Portugal, which welcomed Jews in.

Two such Converso families were the Nasi (de Luna) and Benveniste (Mendes) families who eventually joined together in marriage.

In the 1500′s Dona Gracia (Hanna Nasi) took over her husband’s (Francisco Mendes) spice business after his death, building it up, and ending up becoming one of the richest Jewish women in Renaissance Europe.

But what stands out most about Dona Gracia is that she bought the entire city of Tiberias from the Sultan.

She began to rebuild the city, and invited the Jews of Europe to go to Tiberias, where she would give them start-up funds and land, in the hope that the Jews of Europe could finally come back to their home in the Holy Land, and find refuge from unfriendly Europe. Unfortunately, it appears that very few people took her up on her pre-Nefesh B’Nefesh offer.

Dona Gracia herself never visited Israel.

Today there is a Dona Gracia museum in her honor, located in Tiberias.

Ready to hear the truth about life in Israel? Thousands of Aliyah-minded Jews in Canada and the U.S. are gearing up to hear the inside story first hand. From March 3rd through the 10th, Nefesh B’Nefesh, in conjunction with The Jewish Agency for Israel, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael, JNF-USA and Israel’s Ministry of Immigrant Absorption will be holding Aliyah Mega Events and Fairs in New York, Baltimore, Washington, Miami, Toronto and Montreal. These programs offer seminars, workshops, personal consultations and networking opportunities. With sessions about higher education for students, job hunting for those already in the workforce and golden year tips for retirees, these mega events are for everyone who wants to hear it like it really is.

Curious about the employment scene for new Olim? Interested in what Israel’s socialized health care system can offer? Eager to buy or rent a home the smart way? Wondering how to find the community that’s right for you? Hoping to meet and network with other people who love Israel as much as you do? This is an opportunity to get real answers, from the NBN seminar staff, representatives from Israel government ministries, health fund representatives and even shippers.

Over 50,000 North American and British Jews have already attended Nefesh B’Nefesh pre-Aliyah seminars. In this era of online research, why are thousands of people still coming to get information in person? “One of the great opportunities at the Aliyah fairs is networking with a large, diverse group of people. You can connect with other Aliyah-minded members of your own community in real time and in person” reflects Marc Rosenberg, Director of the Pre-Aliyah Department at Nefesh B’Nefesh. “You need to meet people, bounce ideas off them, ask questions and test out your fears. These events are intended to be the culmination of the research you’ve been doing till now. We have staff who will be able to address your specific questions and help you build a concrete Aliyah plan. We can propel you forward, by raising your confidence in your ability to make Aliyah, ” he added.

What then, is the most crucial type of confidence-building pre-Aliyah preparation? “It’s really about employment and community,” Rosenberg maintains. “When people come to me, they’re not worried about how they’ll manage if they get all the Jewish holidays off from work in Israel, and they’re not asking how’s the weather. They’re already into the idea of Aliyah and they’ve already visited Israel. What they really want to find out now, is can they make a living here and will they like the schools and the neighbors. These fairs help people develop realistic expectations.” The synthesis of realism and idealism, what these mega events offer is clearly a successful recipe; 97% of all Nefesh B’Nefesh Olim remain in Israel. They knew what to expect and were able to make a smooth homecoming.

“For me personally, coming as a single person with only a few suitcases, the job search information was what I needed most,” new Olah Miriam Anne Gold recalls. A Manhattan native, Gold attended the New York Aliyah mega event last winter and made a quick decision. Nine weeks ago she made Jerusalem her new home. Originally a recruiter for a non-profit, who did professional organizing on the side, Gold is now in the process of making her sideline her main focus, as she launches her own professional organizing business. Has Gold been able to navigate the system and find her way so far? “You know you always hear about Israeli bureaucracy, but I’ve had a great experience with the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption. They’re so warm and positive towards new olim, and they have extensive knowledge.”

So is gathering accurate information the key to making a smooth adjustment to life in Israel? Or is it mostly a matter of who you know? Does it depend on having the right attitude? According to Rosenberg, successful Olim have three vital skills: Networking abilities, Hebrew and flexibility. But what does having flexibility mean? Do all Olim reinvent themselves? “You can reinvent yourself, but not your skills,” Rosenberg clarifies, “so you may need to be flexible and use your same skills in a different setting.” Rosenberg himself has done just that, by applying the skills he acquired from his Master of Education degree to the educational initiatives he now runs, not in a school, but at a non-profit.

Was any aspect of Aliyah tough for this pre-Aliyah educator? “The two hardest parts are being away from family, and not having Sundays. My family would call on a Sunday and I’d be at work.” Maybe this year they’ll all attend the Aliyah mega in their area and then he won’t have to miss them much longer.

To see the full schedule of the upcoming Nefesh B’Nefesh Aliyah Mega Events click here.

The North American and English aliyah organization Nefesh B’Nefesh, the Jewish Agency, and the Jewish National Fund have teamed up with the Ort Braude Academic College of Engineering in Karmiel to feature the artwork of immigrants from English-speaking countries to northern Israel.

The exhibit, called “From There to Here”, showcases the work of 15 immigrant artists to northern Israel, including photography, paintings, crewel work and installations.

The exhibit opened January 5^th at the Lady Roslyn Lyons Galler on the Ort Braude Academic College campus.  It will remain open through February 25 from 10am to 2pm Monday through Thursday and from 11am to 2pm on Shabbat.

Are you thinking of making aliya?

It’s a big decision, and I can understand your hesitation to board the next Nefesh B’Nefesh flight.  However, with proper planning, most “unsurmountable” problems can be solved.

If you follow the five-point plan below, you may find that your aliyah dream can actually become a reality.

1. Create a target deadline. Let’s say that you want to make aliya in two years. Now, write it down on your calendar and tell all your friends and relatives when the good-bye party will be. Even if this date changes, having a target date adds an air of resolve to your decision that makes it far less vague than “one of these days, I’d like to move to Israel.”

2.  Create a work plan. In the internet age, you might find that you can telecommute, working for your current employer via Skype and email and making the occasional trip abroad. Perhaps your company has an Israeli branch that would employ you. Alternatively, do you want to start your own business when you move, or make a complete career change? Find out what Israel’s tax laws are in all of these situations and others that may arise.

3.  Think ahead. Are you planning on retiring to Israel? If so, what should you do about your pensions? You may be pleased to know that your social security payments can go directly into your U.S. brokerage account which you can then easily access from Israel. Some folks even have their social security payments deposited directly into their Israeli bank accounts… in shekels, no less!

4. Consider which assets you may leave in the United States and what you might transfer to Israel with you. This is a subject that I have written about previously.

5. My Book. Email me at doug@profile-financial.com for a coupon code to buy my book Building Wealth in Israel at a special discount for the readers of this blog. This book contains detailed explanations of the options that are open to people who are planning on making aliya so that they can continue to manage their finances well while living in Israel.

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Yishai broadcasts from the headquarters of Nefesh B’Nefesh in Jerusalem. He is joined by Dov Newmark who is the director of UK Aliyah at NBN to discuss Aliyah to Israel from the United Kingdom and the specific cultural advantages and challenges for new immigrants from the UK. Don’t miss this segment!

Yishai Fleisher on Twitter: @YishaiFleisher
Yishai on Facebook

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Yishai broadcasts from the offices of Nefesh B’Nefesh to talk about the visit of representatives from South Korea in order to gain knowledge regarding absorbing and matriculating large amounts of immigrants. Thousands of North Korean refugees have snuck across the border into South Korea and in order to assist, the South Koreans have looked towards Israel for guidance.

Yishai Fleisher on Twitter: @YishaiFleisher
Yishai on Facebook

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In an effort to nudge New York Jewish students and young professionals considering aliyah to take the plunge, Nefesh B’Nefesh and the Jewish Agency for Israel will be hosting a special conference at the UJA-Federation of new York in Manhattan on October 21.

The event will feature workshops on getting jobs and higher education in Israel, serving in the army, and other topics, and will include an Israel Fair where job hunters and potential job employers from Israel can meet.  A special workshop will also be included for medical doctors.

A special webinar emphasizing Nefesh B’Nefesh’s Go North program will also highlight the benefits of living in Israel’s Galil and Golan regions.

Two free tickts to Israel will be raffled off, and a Tweetup on Twitter can be followed at #thinkIsrael.