On the Sunday after Purim, a group of people in the Highland Park/Edison area, and dozens more world-wide, weren’t just thinking of the surplus of sweets in their homes or the Pesach cleaning they need to do soon. They were also actively thinking about and exploring plans for making aliyah.
The Olim Advisors organization held a webinar on March 20, with a live session at Congregation Ohav Emeth in Highland Park that attracted over 100 families online and 20 or more in person. Olim Advisors is an Israeli-based company that has been assisting families as they make aliyah, and buy and rent homes in Israel, since 2016.
As Olim Advisors reported: “The event was truly a global event as people attended from countries around the world including the U.S., Israel, Canada, U.K., South Africa, Australia, Finland, Netherlands, Belgium and Argentina. The largest percentages came from the tri-state area, with 30% from New Jersey and 11% from New York.” The live and Zoom events were hosted by Paul Bloom, Rafi Shulman and Risa Shapiro from Olim Advisors.
Bloom stated, “The purpose of the webinar was to kick off Olim Advisors’ new Community to Community Aliyah program. This program will allow olim to make aliyah as a group. There are several advantages to making aliyah as a group, including: 1) the availability of a support system of fellow olim from day one; 2) buyers can receive discounts from developers carefully selected by Olim Advisors; 3) a network of real estate professional such as realtors, bankers and lawyers will help olim buy and rent homes.”
In addition to the information that was provided about the aliya initiative, Menachem Levinsky from Mizrahi Tefahot discussed the topic of getting mortgages in Israel, and Avraham Levinsky addressed a number of the legal issues associated with purchasing a home in Israel.
Judging from the reactions of a few attendees at the in-person session at Ohav Emeth, the event was very informative and helpful.
“This event was a good opportunity to network with people who see themselves living in Israel in the near future,” said Faigie Cornick of East Brunswick. “It was also useful to hear from experts on the ground on how to navigate the procedural complexities in Israel.”
“The presentation was mainly directed at families just beginning their inquiries,” said Richard Kollmar of Edison. “My wife and I have already been to a couple of these types of presentations. Thus, it was mostly a review for us. However, they added an additional twist—there might be significant cost saving and ease of transition if a group of people from the same community purchased and moved together. This needs more research and development.”
“For those wanting to make aliyah but not knowing how to go about it or where to live, Olim Advisors offers a valuable resource,” said Shayna Prupis. “They are a one-stop source for real estate agents, attorneys, mortgages and banking in Israel. They offer a variety of services, depending on what you need, and will hold your hand before, during and after your aliyah.”
Olim Advisors is looking for individuals who are interested in serving as captains for their town, who would help Olim Advisors facilitate aliyah from their community. If you are interested in learning more, or getting the recording from the webinar, visit: www.olimadvisors.com/community.
By Harry Glazer
