When Israel is in trouble, there are many ways to respond to its calls for help. For thousands of American Jews, their response to the atrocities of October 7 has been to make aliyah-- to immigrate to Israel. That includes many Jews from in and around Chicago.
Nefesh B'Nefesh- the primary organization facilitating the aliyah and absorption of North American olim (immigrants to Israel)- helped 2,500 U.S. and Canadian citizens make aliyah between last October and early August of this year. The organization said it has received more than 13,000 aliyah inquiries in the same period. These numbers are rising, and have already broken previous immigration records.
This past summer alone, Nefesh B'Nefesh has assisted 170 families, 445 singles, and 280 retirees in making aliyah. While their average age is 28, they ranged from 2 months to 97. Illinois is one of their most common home states, with 106 making aliyah from the Chicago metropolitan area since October 7 through Nefesh B'Nefesh.
One is Marisa Douenias, a New Yorker who moved to Chicago four years ago. A consultant with the CDC, she worked on pandemic-response policy in DuPage County during the height of COVID.
When Douenias learned of the October 7 attacks, she said, "I knew I needed to move to Israel; I filed my application two or three weeks after October 7. I wanted to be part of the solution, as I was during the pandemic."
October 7 ratcheted up American Jews' interest in Israel, said Marc Rosenberg, Nefesh B'Nefesh's Vice President of Diaspora Partnerships, and made them feel "one degree closer to Israel." For many who had spent time in Israel, he said, that next increment meant aliyah: "In Israel, they find a sense of security-and home."
Both factors are true for Douenias. She had a Masa experience 10 years ago and has kept in touch with friends she made then. She also is friends with a cousin of the Bibas family, two parents and their infant and toddler sons- Kfir and Ariel- were kidnapped on October 7. And she knew one of Hersh Goldberg-Polin's friends; she attended his funeral in Israel and has visited the Nova festival site.
As for security, she said, "Since I moved from Chicago, I feel safer. It is a different kind of threat here, but we are all facing it together."
Having learned about the spread of disease through her CDC work, Douenias likened antisemitism to a mutating virus. With a degree in Judaic Studies, she is likewise fearful for where society is heading; in the US, she lost longtime friends when she stood up for Israel online.
Still, reacting to hate was less of a motivation to move for her than a drive to serve Israel, in its hour of need. "This country will need a lot of help to rebuild," she said. "We don't move here because it is easy, but because it is important."
Rosenberg agreed. "People [used to] run to Israel from persecution. Today, they are coming to Israel by choice. When they are ready, they find us."
Nefesh B'Nefesh was founded more than two decades ago. Previously, some 60% of those moving to Israel did not stay long; now, 90% of those Nefesh B'Nefesh assists stay. While the JUF-supported Jewish Agency for Israel interviews and approves potential olim, Nefesh B'Nefesh helps them navigate their immigration, acting as an ongoing resource. Its effectiveness comes, in part, through collaboration; Nefesh B'Nefesh works in partnership with the Jewish Agency for Israel, Israel's Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael and JNF-USA.
"Immigration is not an easy thing," Rosenberg said. "We help with the successful absorption into Israeli society."
He also credits newer technology with helping Americans become part of Israeli society while maintaining ties to their family and jobs in the U.S. "Moving to Israel, you are still connected to the larger community of Jews," he said. "We are proud to be part of that connection between America and Israel."
To learn more about making aliyah, visit nbn.org.il or email aliyahchicago@jafi.org.
