Aliyah to Israel is up - not only from North America, not only in numbers, and not only in the "final step."

For the first time since the onset of the Oslo War five years ago, the downward Aliyah [immigration to Israel] trend has turned, with more olim [new immigrants] arriving this year than last year.

A total of some 23,000 new immigrants will have made Aliyah this year, according to preliminary Jewish Agency figures. These include record numbers from France and North America, and increases from other countries.

The most dynamic name in North American Aliyah will star this afternoon, when the 7th specially chartered Nefesh B'Nefesh flight of the year will arrive at Ben Gurion International Airport. The El Al plane will bring close to 250 North American Jews home in Israel.

Since its inception in 2001, Nefesh B’Nefesh (NBN), an organization dedicated to the revitalization of North American Aliyah, working closely with the Jewish Agency, has brought more than 7,000 new immigrants to Israel. Today's flight will bring this year's total to more than 3,100.

Greeting the newcomers at a welcoming ceremony at Ben Gurion Airport will be hundreds of family, friends and supporters, along with former Knesset Immigration Committee Chairman MK Tzvi Hendel, Deputy Interior Minister Ruchama Avraham, and Nefesh B’Nefesh founders Rabbi Yehoshua Fass and Tony Gelbart.

Before Aliyah, must come education to Aliyah. The Jewish Agency notes that the number of Jewish youth from around the world participating in educational programs in Israel is also on the upswing. In 2005, young Jews taking part in short-term programs (including Birthright-Israel, Israel Experience and others) numbered 29,712 - close to 1,000 more than last year. Participation in long-term educational programs was up 37%: 5,583 students and youths studied in Israeli yeshivot and university programs, as opposed to 4,058 the year before.

Possibly in celebration of the rise in Aliyah, the Aliyah organization Kumah has released a short provocative film via the internet. Viewable at www.AliyahRevolution.com, the animated film draws upon the allegory constructed by the popular Matrix trilogy, and calls upon the individual Jew living outside Israel to reach a heightened awareness of his/her role in Jewish destiny at this time.

The Jewish Agency reports that from North America, 3,052 new immigrants will have made Aliyah by the end of this year, up from 2,640 last year. This is the highest total since 1983, when 3,806 North Americans moved to Israel.

From France, Aliyah was up from 2,415 last year, to nearly 3,000 this year - the highest total since 1972.

In the past two years, 5,700 North Americans and 5,400 French Jews have made Aliyah - literally, moved up - to Israel.

A recent survey commissioned by the Jewish Agency found that more than 90% of North Americans who immigrated to Israel between 3 and 16 months ago are either "very satisfied" or "quite satisfied" with their absorption in Israel. The survey was conducted by Dahaf - Public Opinion Research Institute.

A 10% decrease in Aliyah was registered from the countries of the former Soviet Union. The total for 2005: 9,124 new immigrants. From Ethiopia, there will be a total of 3,700 olim, similar to last year.

A large increase was registered from South America - 1,850 olim this year, compared with 1,348 last year - and a small increase was registered from England - over 450 olim this year, an increase from 435 last year.