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ICEJ History of Aliyah
Aliyah is a Hebrew word that means to “go up”. Today the word has come to mean the return of the Jews to the Land of Israel. Aliyah, simply stated, is the ingathering of the exiles from the four corners of the earth. It is the immigration of Jews back to their ancestral homeland. Aliyah “is rooted in the Jewish people’s fervent hope to rebuild its national life in the country from which it was exiled nearly 2,000 years ago.
We’re partnering with the God of Israel who promised through the prophet Jeremiah, “For I will set my eyes on them for good, and I bring them back to this land; I will build them and not tear them down, and I will plant them and not uproot them.” (Jeremiah 24:6). We help immigrants after they arrive in the land with integration programs such as assisting with basic household items, providing vocational training, mentoring towards employment, and educational programs for children and youth.
The ICEJ has an official mandate to partner with the Jewish Agency of Israel (JAFI) in our Aliyah work.
ICEJ History of Aliyah
The International Christian Embassy Jerusalem is founded in Jerusalem.
Steve Lightle gives a prophetic word that Russian Jews from the Northwest region would come through Finland.
Mordechai Outcry
During Easter of 1981 the Christian Embassy organized demonstrations around the world in support of imprisoned Soviet Jews and prisoners of Zion, equating them with the situation of Mordechai and Queen Esther and the Jews of Persia long ago.
ICEJ Finland is founded and begins supporting the work in Vienna. Eva’s center has helped approximately 60,000 Russian Jewish immigrants.
Jerusalem officially joins the Aliyah work with Soviet Jews in Vienna along with other branches already involved in the work. Ulla Jarvilehto, founder of ICEJ Finland, was instrumental in the start of ICEJ’s Aliyah work.
Soviet Jews begin making Aliyah through Finland. As the Soviet Union did not have diplomatic relations with Israel and consequently no direct flights, Jews from the Northwest areas of Russia went through East European countries on their way to Israel (as prophesied by Stephen Lightle). The ICEJ’s Finnish Branch became one of the main points of contact for Jewish Aliyah from the Former Soviet Union (FSU).
ICEJ Finland organizes the Finnish Exodus Committee that would bring more than 20,000 Russian Jews to Israel.
ICEJ supports the “Exobus” project, bringing Jews to the airports in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Eastern Europe.
The ICEJ Aliyah route through Budapest begins.
The Raoul Wallenberg Center is established in Budapest to assist the ICEJ Swiss Branch in bringing Jews out of Western Ukraine in convoys.
The St. Petersburg office is established by the Finnish Branch.
ICEJ Finland sends Aliyah bus to Central Asia.
The Far Distant Cities Project is established.
The ICEJ Russian Branch is registered by Aliyah Director Howard Flower and his team.
Chinese Jews make Aliyah through Finland.
The attack on the twin towers in New York on 9/11 begins to increase Aliyah from North America.
The Beit Ha Tikva program begins to help new immigrants settle in Israel as they build a new life.
Russian Jews assisted making Aliyah from North America (until 2012).
An ICEJ “fishing” trip to New York City to discover Jews who want to make Aliyah and need assistance.
Russian Jews assisted making Aliyah from Germany (until 2011).
Howard Flower appointed ICEJ Aliyah director to oversee and continue to drive ICEJ’s worldwide Aliyah work.
ICEJ begins sponsoring group and individual Aliyah flights again.
ICEJ begins Aliyah work in Belarus.
Fishing program begins in France to find and help French Jews and assist them in making Aliyah.
ICEJ starts helping with the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) Red Carpet Program.
ICEJ begins sponsoring Aliyah flights from Sweden.
ICEJ sponsors first Aliyah flight for French Jews.
ICEJ begins work in the Baltic counties of Latvia and Lithuania.
ICEJ begins sponsoring flights of the Bnei Menashe Jews from India (more than 1,000).
ICEJ begins fishing program in Eastern Ukraine.
ICEJ begins supporting Aliyah from Ukraine (more than 1,400 rescued).
ICEJ sponsors five young ladies from Kaifeng, China, to make Aliyah.
ICEJ begins sponsoring another major wave of Ethiopian Aliyah.
ICEJ responds to major surge of Aliyah from Belarus and the Northwest region of Russia. In both regions, Aliyah has doubled over previous years.
ICEJ increases efforts in providing Jewish summer camps in Eastern and Central Europe.
ICEJ launches campaign to help Ukrainian Jews that are hit hard by the civil war in Ukraine.
ICEJ reaches a historic milestone of bringing 150,000 Jews home to Israel since its start in 1989.
ICEJ sees a surge in Russian Aliyah as a result of the economic difficulty.
A new wave of 2,000 Ethiopian Jews who want to make Aliyah starts—and ICEJ commits to sponsor them.
ICEJ expands its flights program to bring Jews from the North, West, East, and South.
ICEJ helps with the huge wave of Aliyah following the Ukraine invasion—the largest Aliyah in 30 years.
Conflicts, crises, and war drive a surge in Aliyah for a second year running. ICEJ responds helping by thousands make Aliyah
the ICEJ assisted 3,653 Jews in their Aliyah and Integration process in Israel, which was 11.3% of the total immigration figures for 2024.
Since 1980
The International Christian Embassy Jerusalem is founded by Christians from 32 countries during the Feast of Tabernacles.
Steve Lightle gives a prophetic word that Russian Jews from the Northwest region would come through Finland.
ICEJ launches the "Mordechai Outcry" campaign, a series of demonstrations by Christians around the world in support of imprisoned Soviet Jews and prisoners of Zion, equating them with the situation of Mordechai and Queen Esther and the Jews of Persia long ago.
ICEJ Finland, under the leadership of Dr. Ulla Järviletho, begins supporting a hospitality center in Vienna set up by Eva Huber to assist Jewish families leaving the Soviet Union via Austria. ICEJ branches in Germany and the Netherlands soon joined the effort, which assisted over 60,000 Jews over the next seven years with clothes, shoes, toiletries and other needed items.
Jerusalem officially joins the Aliyah work with Soviet Jews in Vienna along with other branches already involved in the work. Ulla Järvilehto, founder of ICEJ-Finland, was instrumental in the start of ICEJ’s Aliyah work.
The Berlin Wall falls and the door opens for Soviet Jews to begin making Aliyah through Finland and other routes. As the Soviet Union did not have diplomatic relations with Israel and consequently no direct flights, Jews from the Northwest areas of Russia went through East European countries on their way to Israel (as prophesied by Stephen Lightle). The ICEJ’s Finnish Branch became one of the main points of contact for Jewish Aliyah from the Former Soviet Union (FSU).
ICEJ Finland organizes the Finnish Exodus Committee that would bring more than 20,000 Russian Jews to Israel.
In May, the ICEJ welcomed its first Aliyah flight, a full Boeing 747 planeload of Soviet olim sponsored by ICEJ-Germany. Since then, the ICEJ has funded over 54 direct charter flights with Jewish families coming from the former Soviet Union.ICEJ becomes the main sponsor of the Exobus Project and transports over 35,000 Jews to airports in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Eastern Europe for flights to Israel.
The ICEJ opens an Aliyah route via Hungary, with ICEJ-Switzerland using van convoys to bring over 7,000 Jews from western Ukraine to Budapest for flights to Israel over the next two decades.
The Raoul Wallenberg Center is established in Budapest to assist the ICEJ Swiss Branch in bringing Jews out of Western Ukraine in convoys.
ICEJ opens an Aliyah office in St. Petersburg managed by Howard Flower, who was later appointed ICEJ Aliyah Director in 2006.
ICEJ launches the first of many Aliyah bus trips to the Central Asia republics to transport Jews to airports.
ICEJ initiates the "Far Distant Cities" program to help Jewish families moving to Israel from Siberia and other vast reaches of the former Soviet Union.
The ICEJ Russian Branch is registered by Aliyah Director Howard Flower and his team.
ICEJ sponsors the return of the Jin family, the first Chinese Jews from the ancient Kaifeng community to make Aliyah.
The attack on the twin towers in New York on 9/11 begins to increase Aliyah from North America.
The Beit Ha Tikva program begins to help new immigrants settle in Israel as they build a new life.
Russian Jews assisted with Aliyah flights from North America (until 2012).
An ICEJ “fishing” trip to New York City to discover Jews who want to make Aliyah and need assistance.
Russian Jews assisted making Aliyah from Germany (until 2011).
Howard Flower appointed ICEJ Aliyah director to oversee and continue to drive ICEJ’s worldwide Aliyah work.
ICEJ begins sponsoring group and individual Aliyah flights again.
ICEJ begins Aliyah work in Belarus.
The Fishing program begins in France to find and help French Jews and assist them in making Aliyah.
ICEJ starts sponsoring the "Red Carpet" welcomes for new immigrants with the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI).
ICEJ begins sponsoring Aliyah flights for Jews from Sweden.
ICEJ sponsors its first Aliyah flight for French Jews.
ICEJ begins Aliyah efforts in the Baltic counties of Latvia and Lithuania.
ICEJ partners with Shavei Israel and begins sponsoring flights for over 1,000 Bnei Menashe Jews from northeast India.
ICEJ responds to the Ukraine crisis with "fishing" efforts and begins sponsoring Aliyah flights for Jews from Eastern Ukraine.
ICEJ begins supporting Aliyah from Ukraine (more than 1,400 rescued).
ICEJ sponsors five young ladies from Kaifeng, China, to make Aliyah.
ICEJ sponsors the renewed wave of Ethiopian Aliyah.
ICEJ responds to major surge of Aliyah from Belarus and the Northwest region of Russia. In both regions, Aliyah has doubled over previous years.
ICEJ increases support for JAFI's Aliyah summer and winter camps in Eastern and Central Europe.
ICEJ launches campaign to help Ukrainian Jews that are hit hard by the civil war in Ukraine.
ICEJ reaches a historic milestone of bringing 150,000 Jews home to Israel since its start in 1989.
ICEJ sees a surge in Russian Aliyah as a result of the economic difficulty.
A new wave of 2,000 Ethiopian Jews who want to make Aliyah starts—and ICEJ commits to sponsor them.
ICEJ expands its flights program to bring Jews from the North, West, East, and South.
ICEJ helps with the huge wave of Aliyah following the Ukraine invasion—the largest Aliyah in 30 years.
Conflicts, crises, and war drive a surge in Aliyah for a second year running. The ICEJ responds by helping thousands make Aliyah
The ICEJ assisted 3,653 Jews in their Aliyah and Integration process in Israel, which was 11.3% of the total immigration figures for 2024.
Key Statistics
ICEJ's 2024 Aliyah Activity by the numbers.
190,000
The ICEJ has assisted nearly 190,000 Jews from around the world to make Aliyah (return) to Israel since 1980.
3,225
The ICEJ sponsored flights for 3,225 out of 7,514 Ethiopian Jewish immigrants since 2015.
11.3%
Last year the ICEJ assisted in 11.3% of Israel's total immigration figures for 2024.
300,000
The Jewish Agency's Board of Governors has set a target of bringing 300,000 olim in the next five years.
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