Paramus — An unprecedented number of 20 dentists from around the United States who are planning to make aliyah recently gathered to take the Israeli Dentistry Licensing Exam, which was held for them at the Nefesh B’Nefesh offices in Paramus, New Jersey. This is the largest group ever to take the test outside Israel.

Dentists who immigrate to Israel must pass the Dentistry Licensing Examination given by the Ministry of Health’s Dentistry Department in order to practice their profession in Israel. The test has two parts—theoretical and practical—and takes place twice a year in various languages. Following the unique cooperation between Nefesh B’Nefesh and the State of Israel’s Ministry of Health, it was decided that the dentists would be given the opportunity to take the first theoretical exam in the United States to help expedite the process of obtaining an Israeli license and make the process easier for them. The dentists still have to complete the practical part of the exam when they arrive in Israel. This part of the exam must be taken within three years of taking the theoretical exam.

“I think it’s an amazing thing to be able to have the opportunity to take the Israeli Government’s Dentistry Licensing Exam while I am still in the U.S.,” said Debbie Goldschmiedt of New York City, one of the dentists who took the exam. “This new option is saving a lot of waiting time and energy, and more importantly, it will enable me to start working as a dentist and earn a living in Israel shortly after my aliyah.”