New York–Nefesh B’Nefesh will kick off its aliyah fair road tour next month with its annual Israel Mega Event in New York City, on February 26 at John Jay College in Manhattan. The annual event will be the largest ever of its kind, expecting some 1500 potential olim, aiming to accommodate a record-high interest in aliyah from the US.

In addition to NYC, aliyah fairs will be held in Toronto, Montreal and Los Angeles. All the fairs are being co-hosted by Nefesh B’Nefesh, Israel’s Ministry of Aliyah and Immigrant Absorption, The Jewish Agency for Israel, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael and JNF-USA.

The aliyah fairs, themed “Imagine Greater Possibilities,” provide a full-service aliyah planning experience for prospective olim, giving them the resources and confidence to take the next steps. Participants will be able to choose from over 50 sessions, workshops and one-on-one meetings with various Israeli organizations and aliyah professionals, on topics ranging from home buying and education to professional licensing, health insurance and much more. Additionally, eight Israeli municipalities will be represented at the fair to provide a snapshot of life across the country.

For some participants, attending the event is the initial stage of their aliyah exploration while for others it provides the important last pieces enabling them to finalize their aliyah plans. From meetings with accountants, financial planners, shippers and a host of Israeli vendors, participants will be briefed on a broad range of matters associated with moving to Israel. This year, as a response to a rising number of medical professionals interested in moving to Israel, representatives from seven hospitals and four healthcare providers will be coming to assist leading doctors to join their staff. Representatives of Israel’s Health Ministry will be on hand to offer on-the-spot licensing and professional consultations.

“We have continuously seen a rise in aliyah interest from North America in recent years, so much so that we had to move the Mega Event to a college campus to accommodate and ensure every interested individual and family gets the attention and information they need,” said Rabbi Yehoshua Fass, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Nefesh B’Nefesh. “Now we have the ability to provide additional programming for children, significantly more sessions on aliyah planning as well as an Israeli-themed food market.”