MedEx New Jersey event to take place on March 9.
Since 2002, Nefesh B’Nefesh has developed a strong reputation for utilizing their ties with Israeli government ministries to provide support, guidance and resources for individuals and families preparing to make aliyah from North America.
After nearly a decade of success on the East Coast, the Nefesh B’Nefesh MedEx model expanded globally in 2024, as part of the newly established International Medical Aliyah Program (IMAP), which focuses on facilitating the aliyah of Jewish doctors worldwide. This initiative, led by the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, Ministry of Health, Ministry of the Negev, Galilee, and National Resilience, and Nefesh B’Nefesh in collaboration with The Jewish Agency, aims to address Israel’s growing demand for medical professionals. Additional key partners for this robust and critical program include the Marcus Foundation, the Gottesman Foundation and the Jewish Federation of North America, as well as the Azrieli and Arison Foundations.
This partnership is built on Nefesh B’Nefesh’s prior pioneering work in this area. As they note on the IMAP website: “Since its inception, Nefesh B’Nefesh has aided over 940 physicians and over 3,000 medical professionals in their aliyah processes. Most are now employed in hospitals, Israel’s health funds (HMOs) and the private sector.”
Allison Levine Speiser, associate director of the IMAP program, explained to the Jewish Link: “Seeing the success we were having with helping medical professionals from the USA and Canada, the Israeli Ministry of Health started to discuss how we could make this a global initiative. In early 2024, Nefesh B’Nefesh, in partnership with generous donors, signed on a contract with the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, the Ministry of Health and the Jewish Agency for Israel, and launched an initiative to facilitate 2,000 doctors making aliyah in the next five years.
“This goal is crucial to the continued stability of the Israeli medical system. We are already below the international Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) average in number of doctors per 1,000 people, and we are standing at the cusp of seeing a doctor shortage for a variety of reasons. While the country is working on solving this for the long term, the best short-term option is doctors making aliyah.”
IMAP offers services in six areas that are designed to streamline the aliyah process for physicians across the world:
- Personalized Licensing Guidance
IMAP’s team includes advisers fluent in English, Spanish, French and Russian who can assist medical professionals in document collection, transferring foreign medical licenses, and more.
- Professional Connections
IMAP’s team helps connect physicians preparing for aliyah with appropriate representatives in the Israeli Ministry of Health and the Israeli Medical Association if needed.
- Hebrew Language and Intro to Israeli Medical System Classes
IMAP assists physicians as they identify and consider different programs offered by the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, either in person or online.
- Career Opportunities
IMAP helps physicians make connections with potential employers, Israeli health funds (Kupot Cholim), and renowned local hospitals.
- Assistance in Israel
IMAP provides workshops, events and access to financial assistance to help medical professionals making aliyah integrate into Israeli society.
- Unprecedented Grants
Depending on the specialty of medical professionals making aliyah and where they choose to work and live, they may be eligible to receive a grant of up to NIS 400,000.
Over the past year, IMAP has held MEDEx events in Buenos Aires, London, Paris, Fort Lauderdale, Teaneck and Los Angeles, and also sent representatives to Jewish Agency events in Ukraine and France, enabling them to speak directly with over 1,000 physicians considering making aliyah and discuss the services IMAP offers.
Levine Speiser added: “IMAP is a robust division that speaks English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Ukrainian and of course, Hebrew. In 2024, our staff were in touch with over 2,400 doctors worldwide, and met with over 1,000 doctors in person at events around the world including France, the United Kingdom, Argentina, Brazil, the United States and Canada.
MedEx NJ will take place on March 9 and registration information can be found here: https://www.imap.org.il/medex-nj/. The event is geared for those actively planning aliyah as well as those unsure about their plans or even if aliyah is right for them—but want to learn more about what aliyah would mean for them as a medical professional.”
Harry Glazer is the Middlesex County editor of The Jewish Link. He can be reached at [email protected] and he welcomes reader feedback.
