Aliyah to Israel

For the Ethiopian community, Aliyah (immigration to Israel) is not a simple thing. The Ethiopian community is known for its rich Jewish history and strong Zionist sentiments, but also for Israel’s disappointing attitude toward its members, especially regarding Aliyah and the Falash Mura. “Ger Gorer” (i.e., relatives of converts to Judaism being allowed to make…

Immigrating to Israel is never easy, particularly for anyone making Aliyah as a minor. Whether they are children moving with their families or teenagers emigrating on their own, minors may require assistance in finding a place to live, learning Hebrew, finding a suitable school, etc. It is important to know that Israel offers various assistance…

Recently (August 2020) the Law of Return returned to the headlines. This law was constituted almost as soon as Israel was founded, and proposals to alter it are submitted to this day. There is hardly a person in Israel who has not heard of the Law of Return, which defines who is entitled to immigrate…

New immigrants and returning residents who have lived abroad for at least ten consecutive years (Toshav Hozer Vatik) are entitled to a significant benefit called an adjustment and acclimation year. This benefit is given for the first year of settlement in Israel, and includes various tax benefits and reliefs. What are these benefits and reliefs,…

Israeli law protects the right of all Jews and their spouses to make aliyah, but a lack of clarity persists as to the status of the widow or widower of a Jew. A widower is the spouse of a person who was entitled to make Aliyah but died without emigrating to Israel. Under what conditions…

Who is eligible for Aliyah (immigration to Israel under the Law of Return)? Any Jew (defined as the child of a Jewish mother), child or grandchild of a Jew, or the spouse and minor children of the above, may make Aliyah, provided they haven’t converted to another religion from Judaism or pose a threat to…

What is required for reimmigrating to Israel? Many Israelis born in Israel move to another place at some point in their lives, and their residency is terminated. There are also cases of Israelis who renounce their citizenship, but are still considered eligible for Israeli citizenship based on the Law of Return and can therefore reimmigrate…

The decision to emigrate to another country is always difficult, no less so when making aliyah to Israel. Olim (new immigrants to Israel) struggle with the Hebrew language, Israeli mentality, and the extensive bureaucracy they face in trying to arrange their legal status. However, the State of Israel encourages Jews to immigrate, and makes every…