By Howard Flower ICEJ Aliyah Director

Today, Aliyah from the West is rising, and the ICEJ is marking significant milestones in our Aliyah and integration work in Western countries. Notably, the Christian Embassy has been active in promoting and facilitating Aliyah for 20 years in Germany and 15 years in France. Through seasons of challenge and opportunity, we have remained committed to assisting Jews who hear the biblical call to return. 

The Jewish communities of France and Germany share histories marked by both rich cultural contributions and painful persecution. In both countries, the ICEJ is combating antisemitism to ensure the safety of Jewish families and individuals, while also standing ready to assist those who decide to make Aliyah.

Germany once hosted a very vibrant Jewish community, with over 500,000 Jews making significant contributions to society, science and culture before the Holocaust. After World War II, only a few thousand remained. Yet today, against all historical expectations, Germany hosts one of Europe’s largest Jewish populations—a demographic shift bolstered by the collapse of the Soviet Union.

When the USSR dissolved in 1991, Germany made the decision to welcome Jews from former Soviet republics as part of its historical responsibility. The German government established the Kontingentflüchtling (quota refugee) program, offering Jews from the former USSR an opportunity to immigrate with a path to citizenship and integration incentives.

This policy triggered one of the most significant Jewish migrations in recent history. Between 1991 and 2005, over 220,000 Russian-speaking Jews settled in Germany, strengthening Jewish communities in cities like Berlin, Frankfurt, and Munich. Remarkably, during the early 2000s, more Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union chose Germany over Israel, driven by economic considerations, language barriers, and security concerns during the Second Palestinian Intifada.

It was within this context that ICEJ’s German Aliyah work began. In 2005, we launched the Habaita (“Homecoming”) program in partnership with the Jewish Agency and the Global Calling Center. This initiative provided integration grants and pre-Aliyah outreach and encouragement to many Russian-speaking Jews in Germany.

Through Habaita, ICEJ addressed the community’s unique challenges by engaging their Jewish identity, providing practical integration assistance, and creating pathways for German Jews to experience Israel firsthand. Our approach was based on reconnecting people with their heritage. As a result, Aliyah from Germany has nearly doubled since our programs began.

At 22, Alon Kogan, born in Offenbach, moved to Israel feeling like an outsider in his birth country.

“I always felt like I was a tourist attraction almost,’ Alon said. “Here in Israel, I no longer feel like an outsider.”

Despite growing up near Frankfurt among 6,500 Jews, he experienced antisemitic incidents and felt uncomfortable there. Since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, antisemitic incidents have surged across Europe and North America.

Aliyah from France
France currently has Western Europe’s largest Jewish community, with roots dating back to Roman times. This history has been marred by centuries of antisemitism, from medieval expulsions to the Dreyfus Affair to the Holocaust. In recent decades, French Jews have faced a resurgence of antisemitic incidents, particularly from North African and other Muslim immigrant communities during periods of heightened tensions in the Middle East.

ICEJ’s work in France began in 2010 with our first sponsored group Aliyah flight from Marseille, a response to the growing challenges facing French Jewry. The Second Palestinian Intifada (2000-2005) marked a turning point, as the conflict in Israel spilled over into France. Synagogues were firebombed, Jewish schools vandalised, and individuals attacked for wearing Jewish symbols.

The vulnerability of French Jewry was further underscored by several antisemitic attacks, such as the 2012 Toulouse school shooting, the 2015 Hyper Cacher supermarket attack, and the brutal murder of Sarah Halimi in 2017. Each conflict in Gaza—2009, 2015, and 2023—was followed by a disturbing surge in antisemitic incidents across France.

“I wanted to raise my future children in a place where they could be proud of their Jewish identity without fear,” said Alison, a 28-year-old teacher from Marseille who moved to Israel last year.

Growing up in a traditional Jewish family, Alison always dreamed of making Aliyah but was hesitant due to family ties. However, the increasing hostility towards Jews in Marseille convinced her that the time had come.

Since the October 7 massacres, antisemitism in France has reached alarming levels, with authorities documenting a staggering increase in incidents. Surveys indicate that approximately 38% of French Jews – around 200,000 people – are now considering Aliyah. The ICEJ has sponsored Aliyah flights for 654 Jewish immigrants from France in the past two years, including 154 so far this year. French Aliyah is up 53% so far in 2025, and we are committed to meeting this growing need.

Youth Aliyah from Germany
One of ICEJ’s most transformative initiatives has been supporting the Naale Elite Academy program in Germany. Naale offers Jewish teenagers worldwide the opportunity to complete their high school education in Israel tuition-free, providing full room and board and a comprehensive integration package. The program recalls the historic Youth Aliyah movement of the 1930s, which rescued thousands of Jewish children from Nazi Germany. Today’s Naale students follow in those footsteps.

“My grandparents hid their Judaism in Ukraine. My parents rediscovered it in Germany. Now, I get to live it fully in Israel,” shared Talia, a Naale student from Frankfurt.

Her journey reflects the transformative power of the program, which turns the complex legacy of dispersion into empowerment. The success is measurable – some 90 percent of Naale graduates remain in Israel, while about 60 percent of their families follow. Beyond statistics, each student represents a living bridge between Diaspora communities and Israel.

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine in 2014, Europe has witnessed another significant Jewish migration. Many Ukrainian Jews initially sought refuge in Germany, rather than Israel, perhaps hoping they could more easily return if the war subsided.

Meanwhile back in France, young French Jews like Yaron, an 18-year-old from Paris, have made the courageous decision to make Aliyah despite – and even because of – the current conflicts. He is currently studying Hebrew and will soon serve in an IDF combat unit.

“When I saw the injustice unfolding on October 7, I knew I had to be in Israel,” Yaron insisted.

By 2019, recognising the dangerous surge in antisemitism across Europe, the Jewish Agency approached ICEJ to establish a new program focused specifically on younger generations of Jews in both France and Germany. This initiative includes virtual and physical seminars on Israeli culture and opportunities, one-on-one mentoring with Israeli peers, and specialised tracks for young professionals.

“The program gives us a connection to Israel that feels real and personal, not just historical or religious,” explained Daniel, a 26-year-old participant from Berlin whose grandparents immigrated from Ukraine in the 1990s. “It helps us see Israel as our future, not just our past.”

The ICEJ’s Aliyah efforts span the generations. In 2010, we established the Haifa Home for Holocaust Survivors, providing fully subsidised housing, medical care, and trauma counselling. Many of our residents survived the Holocaust and later immigrated to Israel from the former Soviet Union or Western Europe. Since 2022, the Haifa Home has provided a safe haven for elderly Ukrainian Jews fleeing the conflict with Russia. This work stands as a living testimony to our commitment to supporting Jewish immigrants wherever they are.

“For French and German Jews, Israel is not just a safe haven but a place where they can live their Jewishness to the fullest,” Natan Sharansky, former chairman of the Jewish Agency, once told the German newspaper Die Welt. “Every Jew must decide where to build their future, but we want them to know that Israel is always here, ready to welcome them as family.”

The story of Jewish migration from Western Europe to Israel reminds us that history takes unexpected turns. From the ashes of the Holocaust emerged renewed Jewish communities in France and Germany, while Israel stands as the thriving Jewish homeland. And the ICEJ faithfully supports the prophetic work of God gathering His people home.

The prophet Amos said: “‘I will plant them in their land, and no longer shall they be pulled up from the land I have given them,’ says the Lord your God.” (Amos 9:15) With your support, we can help Jews from France, Germany and beyond get re-planted back in their ancestral homeland forever.

Please support the ICEJ’s Aliyah efforts. Donate today at: help.icej.org/aliyah

Main photo: Naale children from Germany at Ben Gurion airport in 2024. (JAFI)