Welcome home!

Throughout the year, Telfed staff, volunteers and members of our community look forward to welcoming new Olim from Southern Africa and Australia. 

Summer is Aliyah season and July our busiest month with families and students settling in before the school year begins in September. This year, we were excited to welcome 80 new arrivals from South Africa and Australia in the first three weeks of July alone.

More families are on the move

In the first half of 2019 we saw an increase in the number of families making Aliyah, both from South Africa (up 50% from the same period in 2018) and Australia. We also noticed a significant increase in the number of 18-25-year old’s arriving from Australia, many of whom will be serving as lone soldiers. In a recent survey among our Olim, most South Africans said that they chose to make Aliyah because they see a better future in Israel, while personal safety and Zionism were additional drivers. Australians are primarily motivated by Zionism and to be closer to family. 

Where are they going?

Ra’anana remains the most popular destination for families with over 40% of our South African olim settling in ‘Ra’ananafontein’. New trends are apparent in 2019. For families, Beit Shemesh or Ramat Beit Shemesh are growing in popularity likely due to affordability and easy access to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, while catering to the needs of religious immigrants. Beer Sheva is now on the radar for singles (with ten new arrivals to the city compared to zero in 2018). Netanya, a consistent favourite among older Anglos, has caught the attention of families who are opting for beach-side living. Tel Aviv and Jerusalem remain the top choices for singles. 

Helpful advice

Our Aliyah and Klita and Employment Departments noticed a positive trend in the first half of 2019 with a 250% increase in pilot trips. Telfed’s professional staff strongly recommend advance preparation and learning Hebrew prior to Aliyah. As language proves to be the largest obstacle, we continuously emphasise the importance of ulpan both pre- and post- Aliyah. 

The future

Telfed’s SASI Scholarship programme (Southern Africans Studying in Israel) has grown by 30% compared to 2018. SASI allows students to study at world-class Israeli universities, in either English or Hebrew, without necessarily making Aliyah. The Israel experience has made an impression and a number of our SASI students and graduates have begun the Aliyah process. We look forward to guiding them throughout this exciting journey. 

To read the full version of this month’s Chronicle in PDF, click here

To read the editor’s column for this issue, click here

To read the most read story of last month, click here

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