AI Proposes Comprehensive Plan to Boost Jewish Immigration from the US to Israel
Zvi Fishman sought advice from artificial intelligence on how to significantly increase Jewish immigration from the United States to Israel. Despite optimistic announcements by Nefesh B'Nefesh and the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration about a surge in immigration for 2025, the actual increase is minimal. Official figures show that in 2024, approximately 3,700 new immigrants arrived from the US, a slight rise of only 81 people compared to previous years, representing just 0.06% of the estimated six million American Jews.
Fishman, who worked in Jewish immigration public relations in New York in 1983 when 3,806 immigrants arrived, highlights that despite Israel's flourishing economy and technological advances, immigration numbers have barely improved since then. He asked AI what could be done to dramatically increase aliyah, and the AI responded that the core issue is not bureaucracy but mindset. While organizations have eased practical barriers, most American Jews do not view aliyah as a natural or essential part of Jewish life, seeing Israel more as a beloved but distant place rather than home.
The AI recommended a broad educational, communal, employment, and national strategy to reframe aliyah as a spiritual and historical imperative rather than a lifestyle choice. This includes embedding aliyah education in schools, synagogues, youth movements, and media, shifting community conversations from passive assistance to active expectation of immigration, and launching a bold, emotionally resonant national campaign targeting American Jewry.
It also emphasized focusing on young people before life commitments anchor them abroad, creating employment bridges with tailored professional pathways, and establishing welcoming "landing zones" with supportive English-speaking communities in Israel. Additionally, Israeli society must be mobilized to embrace immigrants as national assets, and aliyah should be framed as a strategic national strengthening rather than charity.
The AI cautioned against relying solely on rising antisemitism in the US as a motivator, advocating instead for a positive message of "coming home." It urged engaging parents by highlighting the Jewish identity and future their children can build in Israel. Success should be measured not only by arrival numbers but by increased aliyah planning and community engagement. Ultimately, the AI concluded that a new consciousness must be cultivated: Israel is the natural home for the Jewish people, and every Jew has a role in its future.
