Sderot Attracts New Immigrants Following October 7th Attack
The city of Sderot, which suffered heavily on October 7th, is experiencing a surprising influx of new immigrants from North America, the Commonwealth of Independent States, Ethiopia, and the Benei Menashe community. These families are choosing to rebuild their lives in Sderot, drawn by a personalized absorption program.
The city's absorption department has established a system of four immigrant escorts fluent in Amharic, Caucasian languages, Russian, and English. These escorts provide comprehensive support, assisting with registration in municipal institutions like schools, opening bank accounts, registering with health funds, and navigating bureaucracy with the Ministry of Interior and other authorities. "The fact that each community has an escort who knows the language and the families allows us to provide a personal absorption system and not leave any family to deal with bureaucracy and the transition alone," stated Nachshonov.
The escort system also includes follow-up on the immigrants' integration, maintaining a database of their children's educational placements, experiences, and daily needs. This increase in new residents is attributed to the dedicated efforts of the municipal absorption department, which actively participates in online and in-person immigration fairs and engages with communities likely to send immigrants, aiming to make Sderot an attractive place to live.
Efforts are also underway to attract professionals such as doctors, engineers, and high-tech industry workers. A recent gathering for new immigrants, held for the New Year at the mayor's office, included families with rabbis, educators, marketing professionals, and other skilled individuals. One immigrant, Sabuni, who left Israel after his IDF service and lived abroad for years, decided to return after his sister reported that the area was now quiet and peaceful. He expressed pleasant surprise at the welcoming reception, the availability of synagogues, and the general amenities, stating, "I see that Sderot is good."
Another immigrant, David, a high-tech professional who previously worked for an American company, plans to continue his work remotely while also teaching at a local Hesder Yeshiva. He and his wife, Rivka, who works in a new immigrant program, moved with their two children from New York, seizing an opportunity. Both their families in the US are supportive of their decision to immigrate to Israel.
