Nefesh B'Nefesh Application - Step 1

LET'S GET STARTED - HOW TO APPLY (STEP 1)

Nefesh B'Nefesh has made Aliyah much more accessible in the past few years than it used to be(1), at least with olim coming from North America and the UK. They work alongside The Jewish Agency in order to help streamline the process and provide as much help as possible to the new immigrant, both pre- and post-aliyah. According to NBN, "Aliyah is a big decision with many facets – and Nefesh B’Nefesh is here to to break it down for you to make your Aliyah dream a reality."

So, let me tell you a little about our experience so far with applying for Aliyah with the help of NBN. We began by exploring the NBN site to try and get as much information as possible. And man is there a lot of information available! The recommendation is you begin the application at least 6 months before your planned Aliyah date; however, you can begin long before that time. You can set the pace at which you move through the process. If you need to slow things down, that's fine. If you take a little longer to make the decision to move, NBN may temporarily close down your application file. All you have to do is email them and let them know you are ready to move forward and they will re-open your file (with everything still available that you originally submitted).

The initial application is pretty straight forward. You answer all the typical questions - name, address, birth date, family history, education, employment, etc. At the end of the initial application, you are asked to submit what is called an "Aliyah Statement." This statement is supposed to be a summary of why you want to make Aliyah, including background information on yourself, your past visits to Israel, and a prediction of what you will do once you arrive in Israel (IDF service, employment, Ulpan, etc.). This requirement caught us a little off guard but we were able to articulate all of this in about one typed page (only one statement per family unit, not per applicant). It took us a few days to work through this information and get it on paper, but it has come in handy with other programs we have applied for so it was nice to get it done and out of the way.

**IMPORTANT - SAVE EVERYTHING!**

You do not know when you will have to reproduce something you have already submitted, or submit the EXACT same thing for a different portion of your application or program!

(1) This is a somewhat debated idea. Working with NBN is not "required" and there are Olim who claim it is better to work only with The Jewish Agency when making Aliyah. The other option is to come directly to Israel and apply for Israeli citizenship once you arrive. Both ideas are beyond the scope of my knowledge. If you are interested in learning more, I suggest you look closely into what other options are available to you and your family.