Dozens of Bnei Akiva youth movement members are greeting new immigrants at Ben-Gurion Airport throughout the summer, sometimes in the middle of the night, as part of an initiative intended to make arriving olim feel at home from their first moments in Israel.

After receiving information about incoming flights, Bnei Akiva sends a call to members living near the airport. Volunteers then arrive with welcome signs and greet the new immigrants with singing and dancing.

Whenever possible, the movement assigns a volunteer who speaks the immigrants’ language to welcome them, offer assistance and establish a personal connection.

The initiative is taking place during the peak summer season for aliyah. Dozens of organized aliyah flights are expected to arrive at Ben-Gurion Airport this summer, bringing new immigrants from North America and other parts of the world.

The project is being coordinated with the Jewish Agency, the Aliyah and Integration Ministry and organizations involved in helping new immigrants settle in Israel.

The welcome does not end at the airport. When immigrant families reach their first homes in Israel, members of the local Bnei Akiva branch organize another reception and continue assisting them as they integrate into the community.

The project is led by Bnei Akiva’s Amishav program, which works to integrate young immigrants into the movement and Israeli society through personal relationships, community activities and ongoing support.

The initiative comes amid continued interest in moving to Israel. More than 22,500 young and skilled immigrants moved to Israel in 2025, according to figures published earlier this year.

“The moment a new immigrant lands in Israel is moving and meaningful, and we want them to feel from their very first step that they have arrived home,” Bnei Akiva Secretary-General Yigal Klein said.

“Helping new immigrants settle in Israel was one of the central missions adopted by the movement at its most recent national convention,” he said. “This initiative is a significant part of being a movement that takes responsibility, opens its heart and connects people, communities and the entire Jewish people.”