Nefesh B'Nefesh

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Nefesh B'Nefesh is an organization that encourages immigration by Jewish people to Israel from North America and other English-speaking areas. It was founded in 2002 by Rabbi Yehoshua Fass and Tony Gelbart.

According to its website, the mission of Nefesh B'Nefesh is to:

“

revitalize North American Aliyah, and to expand it for generations by removing the financial, professional, and logistical obstacles that are preventing many prospective Olim (immigrants to Israel) from fulfilling their dream. In the process, we hope to send an unmistakable signal of North American-Israeli Jewish solidarity and joint determination to strengthen the State of Israel.

”

In a press release on April 4, 2006, the organization announced it will expand its activities to Great Britain starting that same month. The move is due to the "overwhelming" number of requests for assistance in immigrating to Israel by British Jews.^[1]

On January 17, 2007, Nefesh B'Nefesh announced the arrival in Israel of its ten thousandth oleh.[1]. Nefesh B'Nefesh charters its aliyah flights with EL AL Airlines, Israel's official airline.

The organization is provided funding from the state of Israel and private donors, the largest donor being Evangelical Christians in the United States. Nefesh B'Nefesh requires as a condition for accepting grant money that the immigrant remain in Israel for a period of three years. Many people who have moved back before the three year period have been sued by Nefesh B'Nefesh for the total sum of the grant money.