By Howard Flower, ICEJ Aliyah Director

In testimony to the power of the prophetic call for Jews to come home to Israel, another group of 15 French Jewish immigrants landed in Israel in late April, with their flights sponsored by the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem. The new arrivals are part of a growing wave of Aliyah from Western nations, where antisemitism is surging across Europe, North America and other regions, even while pride in a resilient Israel is drawing more Jews home.

The Rising Tide of Western Aliyah
For decades, Aliyah has been primarily associated with Jews fleeing persecution and repression in the Soviet Union, Ethiopia, or war-torn regions. Today, a new narrative is unfolding – one where Jews from Western nations like the U.S., France, Great Britian, South Africa and Australia are choosing Israel in growing numbers. Driven by both push and pull factors, this modern-day exodus echoes biblical prophecies of the great last-days Ingathering: “I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west.” (Isaiah 43:5)

France: A Community at a Crossroads
France is home to Europe’s largest Jewish community, with roots stretching back to Roman times. Yet, in recent decades, escalating antisemitism – from violent attacks to systemic discrimination – has left many Jews feeling like strangers in these lands. The Hamas massacre of October 7 and its aftermath became a tipping point, with antisemitic incidents in France soaring by 1,100%. Surveys now indicate that 38% of French Jews – representing nearly 200,000 individuals – are actively considering to make Aliyah.

The ICEJ has responded to this urgent need by sponsoring Aliyah flights for 654 French ‘olim’ (newcomers) to Israel in the past two years alone, including 154 so far in 2025. Overall, French Aliyah has increased 55% from the year 2024, which was itself up 99% over 2023.

Among them are young professionals like Alison, a 28-year-old teacher from Marseille, who says she wanted to raise her children “where they could be proud of their Jewish identity without fear.”

Germany: From Renewal to Return
Germany’s Jewish community, once decimated by the Holocaust, experienced a remarkable revival after the fall of the Soviet Union, with over 220,000 Russian-speaking Jews immigrating under the Kontingentflüchtling incentive program. Yet today, rising extremism from the Left and Right, along with Islamic extremism, is fuelling anti-Israel attitudes, thereby prompting many young German Jews to consider immigrating to Israel.

Since 2005, the ICEJ’s Habaita program has worked to reconnect German Jews with their heritage, nearly doubling the German Aliyah numbers since then. Initiatives like the Naale Academy – a tuition-free high school studies program in Israel – have been transformative.

Talia, a Naale student from Frankfurt, recently explained her own family’s journey: “My grandparents hid their Judaism in Ukraine. My parents rediscovered it in Germany. Now, I get to live it fully in Israel.”

The Baltic States: Small Communities, Bold Steps
In Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania – where Holocaust devastation nearly erased Jewish life – renewed fears due to regional instability amid the Ukraine war are spurring a new wave of Aliyah. In 2023, the Christian Embassy sponsored over 200 Aliyah flights from the Baltic states, while our funding of cultural programs like the recent Jewish heritage trip to Estonia highlight our commitment to these often-overlooked Jewish communities.

ICEJ’s Array of Aliyah Efforts
The ICEJ’s support for Aliyah extends beyond funding flights for new Jewish immigrants to Israel. We address every stage of the Aliyah process – from awakening Jewish identity to ensuring successful integration in Israel. For instance:

1. Sponsoring Flights and Logistics
ICEJ covered airfares for 500 French olim in 2024, and we are currently sponsoring pre-Aliyah programs for Ukrainian Jews fleeing to Israel via Germany and the Baltics.

2. Youth Aliyah: Building the Future
ICEJ has partnered with the Jewish Agency For Israel on their Naale program for Jewish students from aboard, where 90% of graduates remain in Israel, often followed by their families. Plus, we funded summer camps and seminars for Baltic youth, like the 2024 Vilnius seminar for 52 young families.

3. Combating Antisemitism, Encouraging Aliyah
The ICEJ is publicly standing with Israel and the Jewish People in cities around the world and in Israel, supporting virtual and in-person events connecting Diaspora youth with Israel.

4. Integration Support
The ICEJ’s Home for Holocaust Survivors in Haifa has taken in 16 elderly immigrants from war-torn Ukraine over recent years. We also have offered Hebrew classes, job placement aid, and trauma counselling for new immigrants.

Why Now? The Catalysts Behind the Wave
Jewish families are making Aliyah to Israel right now due to certain push and pull factors.

1. The Palpable Push of Antisemitism:
The post-October 7 explosion of global hatred of Jews – from campus protests in the U.S. to violent attacks in France – has shattered their illusions of safety. In Germany, a far-Right party’s recent electoral gains have deepened anxieties. And as Chief Rabbi Moshe Sebbag of Paris lamented: “It is clear today that there is no future for Jews in France.”

2. The Compelling Pull of Israel
For most Jewish newcomers to Israel, Aliyah is not just an escape but a homecoming. Young Jews like 18 year-old Yaron from Paris are drawn to serve in the IDF or to join Israel’s hi-tech sector. Others seek the intangible joy of living openly as Jews, like Alon from Offenbach, Germany described: “Here in Israel, I no longer feel like an outsider.”

ICEJ’s Vision for 2025
Jewish Agency chairman Doron Almog has predicted a major wave of Aliyah in the coming years, so the ICEJ is scaling up our efforts by:
•  Expanding Aliyah flight sponsorships for France and other countries.
•  Increasing Baltic outreach with “Aliyah Days” in Riga, Tallinn and Vilnius.
•  Supporting new integration programs for Jewish immigrants facing high living costs in Israel.

A Prophetic Moment
This Aliyah wave is more than a demographic shift – it is the fulfilment of God’s promise: “I will plant them in their land, and no longer shall they be pulled up from the land I have given them.” (Amos 9:15)

Over the past 45 years, the ICEJ has helped nearly 190,000 Jews return home to Israel. As the prophetic timetable hastens, we remain steadfast in our calling to help the Jews return home and comfort them back in the Land of Israel (Isaiah 40:1).

How You Can Help
Join us in this sacred work. Your donations fund Aliyah flights, educational activities, travel logistics, and integration programs. Learn more about how you can partner with us in bringing more Jewish families home at: help.icej.org/aliyah