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Six-year-old becomes 100,000th person to make aliyah through Nefesh B’Nefesh
Young New Yorker Emilia was welcomed to Jerusalem by President Herzog alongside her parents and siblings
Aliyah organisation Nefesh B’Nefesh has celebrated its 100,000th olah (female immigrant) with six-year-old Emilia Douglas, who celebrated her birthday by moving from New York to Jerusalem with her family.
The organisation was founded in 2002 to help Jews from the United States and Canada make aliyah and integrate into Israeli society.
Israel’s President Isaac Herzog welcomed Emilia and her family to his official residence to celebrate the occasion, alongside parents, Jeffrey and Atara Douglas, and siblings Nathaniel, 10, and Hallie, 9.
“How’s the weather?” he asked her, to which she responded, “Too hot!”
President Herzog said: “The Douglas family is setting a wonderful example for millions of Jews all over the world, and I wish them every success in their integration and new life here in Israel.”
Atara Douglas said: “We wanted to live and experience Jewish history as it unfolds, to be part of the story of Am Yisrael in our homeland through both the moments of joy and the moments of challenge. We are finally fulfilling our dream,”Someone once told me, ‘We’re leading, not leaving.’ That’s exactly how we feel as we begin this next chapter in Israel with our children.”
Nefesh B’Nefesh co-founder Rabbi Yehoshua Fass said: “This milestone isn’t simply about welcoming our 100,000 oleh; it’s about the generations that have followed. It’s about the sabra children born because their parents chose to build their future in Israel, and the grandchildren who know no other home. It’s about communities that have flourished, careers that have strengthened the country, soldiers who have defended it, educators who have inspired it, physicians who have healed it and entrepreneurs who have built it.”
He added: “The true impact of aliyah can’t be measured by a single number, as every Oleh creates a legacy that extends far beyond themselves. Today, the Douglas family adds their own chapter to that growing legacy.”
Co-founder Tony Gelbart said: “Each person who made aliyah has contributed to Israel in ways both visible and unseen. Together, they have helped build stronger communities, strengthened the country’s economy, enriched its culture and ensured a vibrant future for generations to come. Looking back at where we began makes us incredibly proud, but what excites us even more is imagining what the next 100,000 olim will accomplish.
The Douglas family’s three children were each named in memory of a fallen Israeli soldier or victim of terror.
Nefesh B’Nefesh works in partnership with the Aliyah and Integration Ministry, the Jewish Agency for Israel, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael and JNF-USA. The organisation says about 90% of the more than 100,000 North American immigrants it has assisted have remained in Israel.
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