Shivat Zion launches group Aliyah pilot for British families with year-end deadline

British Jews considering Aliyah this year are being urged to act quickly after Shivat Zion unveiled a new group programme that closes at the end of December.

The charity – the UK’s only Aliyah support organisation recognised by Israel’s Ministry of Integration – has announced a fully funded pilot scheme offering “unprecedented” levels of guidance for families who make the move in 2025.

Strictly limited to twelve families, the initiative is centred in the Carmay Hanadiv neighbourhood of Kiryat Malachi, a growing Anglo-friendly community within commuting distance of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

Participants will be supported by Shivat Zion’s team of experienced Olim advisers from the planning stage in the UK through the first year in Israel. Assistance will cover bureaucracy, housing, employment, schooling, banking and day-to-day integration. Families will also be provided with furnished accommodation at subsidised rates, free ulpan classes and community activities to ease the transition.

Chief executive Shraga Evers said: “Making Aliyah is a major step, and one that can leave people feeling unsupported and alone. This pilot programme gives families a unique chance to move with like-minded people, arriving with a ready-made community so you feel settled from day one.”

Evers added that the scheme aims to “take the stress out of Aliyah” by ensuring families arrive with both professional support and peer companionship.

Carmay Hanadiv has already attracted a sizeable English-speaking community, combining relatively affordable housing with proximity to major cities and the coast. The twelve families accepted into the pilot will form a new core group while joining the existing network of Olim and Israelis.

Shivat Zion is urging interested families to apply quickly to secure one of the remaining places before the 31 December deadline.

Applications can be made via www.shivat-zion.com