"NUMBER OF SINGLE IMMIGRANTS FROM N. AMERICA LEAPS BY 40% IN 2006"
From Haaretz By Daphna Berman


The number of young, unmarried North American Jews immigrating to Israel has increased dramatically in the past few years, with a leap of 40 percent projected for 2006 as compared to last year's figures.

In 2004, some 350 North American singles immigrated here (out of a total 2,600 olim from the U.S. and Canada). The number of single North Americans rose to 450 last year (out of a total of 3,000 olim), and for 2006, the forecast is 625 singles by year's end (with a total of 3,000-plus expected).

"In the past, people felt the need to be married and settled before they make aliyah, but now there's a sense that people can also find their significant other here," says Nechama Weiser, associate director of pre-aliyah and liaison for student affairs at Nefesh B'Nefesh, which provided the figures.

According to experts, as well as the immigrants themselves, a number of key factors have led to the substantial increase. Meeting a Jewish partner abroad has become increasingly difficult, some say, whereas Israel offers a plethora of young and datable potential mates. Others insist that the free university education provided to young immigrants as part of their absorption basket has successfully drawn arrivals who are keen to avoid steep tuition costs and the student debts they would have incurred back in the U.S.

Others involved in aliyah point to the increasing popularity of programs like Taglit-birthright, which bring young Jews to Israel and effectively strengthen their connection to the Jewish state.

"If you're looking for a Jewish partner, living here is definitely more viable," said Shara Grifenhagen, who immigrated from North Carolina last year. "Before making aliyah, I worked in Jewish communal service and you had to make more of an effort to live a Jewish life, find a Jewish partner and have Jewish babies.

"Here, you don't need to worry about that. I don't need to go to Jewish singles parties or an event organized by my temple. I just go out and everyone is Jewish. Even in New York, Jews still need to find each other, but here, chances are the person you will meet is Jewish."

Grifenhagen, a birthright alumnus, lived in Ra'anana when she first immigrated, which as a single, she said, "was very difficult socially and emotionally."

"But in Tel Aviv, it's a different story. I don't have time to do all of the things I'd want to do socially," the 29-year-old said.

According to Prof. Bernard Lazerwitz, a retired sociologist at Bar-Ilan University who studies American Jewry, this newest phenomenon is hardly surprising.

"These are people who are not married, are looking for a bit of adventure, and they are at a stage when they are making important life decisions," he said. "They're free to try out new options and they figure that if it doesn't work out, they can always go back. Singles are more flexible."

The majority of the North American singles are in their 20s, according to Nefesh B'Nefesh's Weiser; thus, "they don't have so many strings attached. There's not an issue of aging parents or having to find schools for your kids."

Mark Fischman, a 31-year old software engineer who immigrated here three years ago from Dallas, says that living in Israel has become more economically viable for him and the other well-educated single immigrants in his social network. "There's more of a sense that you can live in Israel and have a great life here. There are a lot of job opportunities for Americans that may not have existed in the past," he said.

"If you're looking for someone Jewish, Texas is hardly the place," he added. "A lot of my friends didn't come to find a partner and then leave. They want to find a partner here, but they also want to stay."

Aliyah officials also say that the popularity of programs that bring young Diaspora Jews to Israel has contributed significantly to the trend among young Jewish singles. Aliyah is not a stated goal of birthright Israel, but 6,000 of its alumni have immigrated here since the program's inception.

The largest number of immigrants comes from the former Soviet Union, but an estimated 1,000 North American participants have since moved here as well, says Gidi Mark, birthright's international marketing director. "We believe that for the less affiliated or religious within the 18-to-26 age bracket, we are the leading organization in terms of new immigrant numbers," he said.

"More young people are coming for a few months, and they meet Israelis and become connected here," said Yair Redl, director of the Jewish Agency's aliyah division.

He attributes the rise in numbers to the Agency's recent focus on long-term programs for young adults, such as Masa.

Still, the numbers from other English-speaking countries hardly mirror the increase of those coming from North America.

According to statistics provided by the Jewish Agency, 126 singles immigrated here from the U.K. last year and 140 are expected to come by the end of 2006. But the number of single olim from other countries appears to be decreasing slightly. Thirty-seven Jewish singles immigrated from Australia this year, compared to 41 the year before. Similarly, 36 Jewish singles immigrated from South Africa, compared to 48 the year before.

Still, the influx of young Americans has expanded the Anglo singles scene in both Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, its two major bases. "I do get the feeling that the singles scene is getting bigger," London-born Nadia Levene, who organized a Jerusalem singles party over Simhat Torah that attracted over 400 people.

Levene is one of the founders of "shmingles," a group, she says, "for singles to meet and shmooze" that sponsors events throughout the year. "I have single friends all over the world and it really is difficult to find Jewish people. People come here to meet a Jewish partner, but economically, things are also better, so people are readier to make aliyah."

Others like Avi Bercovich, who was born and raised in Amsterdam, said that after spending time in the Jewish singles scene in New York and London, Jerusalem was the next stop.

But he says that finding a wife was not the driving force behind his decision to immigrate here. "I came to be closer to my family," the 35-year-old graphic designer said. Still, he admits, the presence here of many single females his age is, in fact, a "big plus."