Email from Susan M. Michael, USA Director, ICEJ on July 25, 2020
The coronavirus shutdown has certainly changed the world. One unexpected consequence of the economic and social disruption that the pandemic caused has been the increasing interest in Aliyah. Israeli and Jewish Agency officials are estimating that as many as 90,000 Jews will immigrate to Israel over the next 18 months. That would be nearly double the average rate of Jewish return of the past decade.
Several factors are driving the Aliyah wave at present, but the main reason is the sense that Israel has done well so far in handling the pandemic. Rabbi Elhanon Poupko predicted an “Aliyah apocalypse” and said, “Once the airways reopen, and a ravaged world economy emerges, it is likely we will see an Aliyah apocalypse. [Jewish] Americans from all walks of life are likely to find the fast track back to Israel.”
Email from Susan M. Michael, USA Director, ICEJ on July 25, 2020