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The number of North Americans immigrating to Israel increased by 20% in 2024, with Jerusalem emerging as the most favored destination.
By Shula Rosen
While Jerusalem residents have been gathering in shelters in recent weeks, new immigrants from North America are also gathering in Israel’s holy capital— and moving in.
Although the war in Gaza still rages on, along with the threat of Houthi missiles, the number of North Americans immigrating to Israel rose 20% in 2024, with Jerusalem topping the list as the favored destination.
Zvi Ephraim Carmines, a 30-year-old tech entrepreneur who recently made aliyah, said that timing did not factor into his decision.
He explained, “It’s not about asking ‘why now?’—it’s more like, ‘why wait?’ There’s never a perfect moment. Sometimes, you have to take the leap. The best way to stand strong in the face of fear is to build a life here—to put down roots.”
Like many other new immigrants, Carmines has lost no time in establishing Jerusalem as his home. Since making aliyah, he got married, launched a newsletter with 6,000 subscribers that describes events in the Israeli capital, and joined an IDF program for new arrivals.
“If Israel is the home of the Jewish people, then Jerusalem is the heart of that home,” he said.
Data from Nefesh b’Nefesh, the Jewish Agency, and KKL-JNF indicate that 1,725 North Americans have moved to Israel since October 7. This number is the largest in terms of the immigrants from a single country to a single destination.
Li-Ori Rush, 50, from Silicon Valley, said that October 7 changed the way she felt about living as a Jew in the United States as well as about making aliyah.
“To me, it was the modern-day Kristallnacht. Outside the Jewish community, almost no one cared,” she said. “After 25 years in the Valley, it no longer felt like home.”
“Jerusalem wasn’t a choice—it was the obvious place,” she said. “I found community, depth, and support here. I joined a jiu-jitsu group, I volunteer, I’m learning Hebrew, and I even held a ceremony for my new Hebrew name—Li-Ori. I have no doubt I made the right decision.”
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