Over 50 Holocaust survivors made aliyah in past year, four since Oct. 7

An Israeli flag [Ilustrative]

Fifty-two Holocaust survivors have made aliyah throughout the past year, the Aliyah and Absorption Ministry revealed on Sunday on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Of the 52, four made aliyah since October 7, despite the country being at war.

Russian aliyah saw a record 26 Holocaust survivors come to Israel throughout the past year, while 10 more came from Ukraine, five from France, four from the US, three from Germany, and a handful from Venezuela, Brazil, Italy, and Canada.

Those who made aliyah following October 7 

The four Holocaust survivors who made aliyah on October 7 were from either Russia or the US.

Since 1989, 73,816 Holocaust survivors have arrived in Israel from around the world, according to Aliyah and Integration Minister Ofir Sofer.

ALIYAH AND INTEGRATION Minister Ofir Sofer (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)

ALIYAH AND INTEGRATION Minister Ofir Sofer (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)

“We welcome the fact that precisely in these years, despite the difficulty and their age, they chose to come to our national home,” he said. “I see their arrival in Israel as ‘closing a circle’ and a victory for them and the Jewish people.”

The aliyah of Holocaust survivors is no ordinary occurrence in the State of Israel, and the ministry handles such cases accordingly. As such, Holocaust survivors who make aliyah, or immigrate to Israel, receive special support, including eligibility for a one-year advancement in the waiting list for public housing, financial grants, and assistance.

Assistance given to Holocaust survivors who make aliyah 

Sofer said that this year, when highlighting Holocaust Remembrance Day amid the Israel-Hamas war, there was proof that “even 79 years after the end of the terrible Holocaust, there are many who wish to destroy us.”

He continued, “During the commemoration of the memory of our brothers and sisters – the six million who were murdered on European soil just for being Jews – we remember what is incumbent upon us: To secure the future of the Jewish people, to protect our country, and to quickly return the hostages to their homes.”