By: Chris Chambers

The Israeli Ministry of Aliyah and Integration has published official statistics that 50,000 new immigrants have already arrived in Israel so far this year, the highest number in over 20 years.

This is nothing short of remarkable, especially in light of the global pandemic and Moscow’s recent efforts to hinder Jews from leaving Russia, and it brings glory to the God who continues to honor His promises to regather Israel in these days. “For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land.” (Ezekiel 36:24)

“It is amazing to see the rising Aliyah figures for 2022 and over recent years,” said David Parsons, ICEJ Vice President & Senior Spokesman, told ALL ISRAEL NEWS this week “The global pandemic could not stop the return of the Jewish people to the land of Israel, and neither can the Russian government’s threats to close the door to Jewish immigration to Israel. In fact, it is only stirring more interest in Aliyah from all the former Soviet republics.”

In the coming weeks ICEJ will assist an additional 100 Ethiopian Jews with flights and pre-flight needs. Also 100 Ukrainian Olim and an additional 57 from other former Soviet Republics. This brings our ICEJ total to more than 3,000 this year and includes more than 1,000 Jewish immigrants from the Ukraine and a total of 260 from Ethiopia.

Looking closer at the official data, most of this surge in Jewish immigration to Israel this year is due to the Russia-Ukraine war, as roughly 40,000 of the newcomers since late February were from those two countries. Between January and the end of August 2022, forty-seven percent of the new immigrants were from Russia and twenty-five percent were from Ukraine.

While the Jews arriving from Russia until now tend to be whole families, those arriving from Ukraine are mostly mothers, children and the elderly who fled the war, with men of combat age required to stay and defend the country.

This presents various challenges when providing the love and support needed to help each one fit into their new life in Israel and start contributing to society. Just a few of the ways we have been helping has been with Jewish youths from Ukraine. ICEJ was involved in sponsoring several Aliyah Summer Camps specifically designed to help Jewish youths from Ukraine prepare for their eventual move to Israel. For many others, we have been supporting their flight costs, basic aid and food packages, student learning programs, dental health care and, of course, the much wider integration needs they will face.

The Naale Program is an international program that enables Jewish teenagers from the Diaspora to study and complete their high school education in Israel, and with the ICEJ’s help another large group of Jewish students from the former Soviet republics have just arrived to continue their education. The majority of students are aged 14-16 will make Aliyah after graduation and 68% of their parents will follow shortly after them.

According to the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, the majority (63%) of immigrants who came to Israel in the last year were of working age, which could serve to boost Israel’s economy. Some 27% were between the ages of 18 and 35, with 21% between the ages of 36 and 50, and 15% between the ages of 51 and 65. Children made up 23% of the newcomers and the rest were people 66 and older.

This harkens back to Jeremiah 31:17, which says: “There is hope in your future, says the Lord, that your children shall come back to their own border.”

God is bringing His people home to Israel and the ICEJ is well placed to assist in this great prophetic Ingathering. With the help of our donors worldwide, we are here to meet the challenges and needs that arise, before and after their plane touches down – despite wars and pandemics and any other hindrances. What a privilege it is to witness this historic Return of the Jews! And how humbling to be part of the response to God’s command to the nations to carry them home on our shoulders and in our arms and planting them in the Land with all our heart (Isaiah 49:22).

Learn more about the many ways the ICEJ is impacting the lives of Jewish immigrants to Israel by clicking the links below:

Summer camp for Russian speaking Jews; Ethiopian immigrants finish High School; Support for Israel as Aliyah numbers climb; Having a heart to plant Jewish immigrants in the land.

 And support the ICEJ’s Aliyah efforts today by donating at:  give.icej.org/aliyah