[By Yair Hoffman for The Five Towns Jewish Times]

Monday August 17th – Terminal 4 at JFK airport is a bit of a balagan, but a holy balagan. Why?

It is a holy balagan because there are 232 new olim from North American that are about to make Aliyah to Israel. It is a balagan because there are so many Jews excited to make Aliyah – and the excitement is palpable. Sixty of these new Olim will be lone soldiers, joining the 850 lone soldiers from North America currently serving in the IDF.

In other words, 6.6% of the North American lone soldiers in the IDF in a few months will be on this flight.
They are 29 families, 75 children, 86 singles and 60 IDF lone soldiers.

In Nefesh B’Nefesh, Rabbi Yehoshua Fass and co-founder Tony Gelbart have found innovative ways to increase aliyah. They have made it easier, smoother, and significantly more popular. And, of late, they have attracted families with young children.

As the latest Nefesh B’Nefesh flight of new olim will attest, this organization creates facts on the ground in Israel.

Rabbi Fass and Nefesh B’Nefesh have succeeded in removing the impediments, easing any “pain in the neck” associated with aliyah to Israel. From processing all the paperwork in revolutionary new ways, to providing certain types of grants, airplane fare, transportation and housing and job assistance—Nefesh B’Nefesh (www.nbn.org.il) does it all to make aliyah an easier decision.

This summer alone Nefesh B’Nefeh and its partners brought over 2000 new Olim to Israel. There will be a departing ceremony and an arrival ceremony in Israel. Stay tuned for updates.