The band formed in 2023 and derived its name from a song title from Swift's 1989 album, released in 2014. The band has received an enthusiastic reception from Swift fans at their performances, with one band member describing them as a "really fun audience." "Swifties get very excited when they hear their favorite song. It's a really fun experience being able to play for people that get so excited," electric guitarist Noah Levin said.

Wonderland comprises musicians from diverse American backgrounds who have relocated to Israel. Lead singer Hila Oz moved to Jerusalem from California, while Noah Levin, 23, plays electric guitar after relocating from Albany, New York, to Givat Shmuel. Shoshana Leshaw, 32, handles acoustic guitar and backup vocals while working as a music therapist in special education in Jerusalem. She previously lived in Teaneck, New Jersey. The band also features Katia Polyak on violin, who moved to Jerusalem from Dallas, Texas. The rhythm section includes drummer Tzvi Gordon, 32, a New Jersey native now living in Jerusalem, and bassist Oliver Hazan, 37, who relocated from London to Jerusalem.

The ongoing war in Israel has created challenges for the band's performance schedule. "Scheduling is more uncertain now because we don't know how the security situation will affect concerts that we scheduled," Levin explained.

The band spans Swift's musical evolution from country to pop across multiple album eras. Their Tel Aviv setlist spans Swift's 18-year career: "Our song," "Love story," "You belong with me," "Mean," "Speak now," "We are never getting back together," "All too well" in its extended ten-minute version, "Red," "Blank space," "Delicate," "Cruel summer," "Lover," "Betty," "No body no crime," and "Guilty as sin."

The August 5 concert will take place at Levontin 7 in Tel Aviv at 8 p.m., offering Israeli audiences access to Swift's catalog for only 50 shekels per person. The affordable ticket price contrasts sharply with international Swift concert costs, where fans often pay hundreds of dollars and travel internationally to see the pop star perform live.

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Aliyah from North America at the beginning of 2024 is slightly lower than it was at the start of 2023 – 602 Olim arrived between January and April this year, compared to 725 last year. However, Avichai Kahana, the Director General of the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, is convinced that those who make Aliyah this year will come at much larger numbers than in previous years. "Despite the war, 1,500 to 1,600 people are expected to arrive in just July and August alone," he says. "Based on our knowledge of Aliyah intentions, in 2024, we will break the records of the last ten years, with around 4,000 Jews making Aliyah to Israel from North America."

It turns out that the Swords of Iron War is not deterring Jews from the USA, Canada, and Mexico who are interested in making Aliyah to Israel; in fact, interest has only increased. "After years of a consistent decline in Aliyah files from these countries, since October 7, we have seen a surge in the opening of files in North America. These are numbers we haven't seen in decades," Kahana says. May was a peak month: 580 Aliyah files were opened in North America. This step indicates a practical interest in coming to Israel, living here, and becoming Israelis. "It's not just making a phone call and asking, but filling out forms to start the bureaucracy," he explains.

Not all files ultimately lead to Aliyah, he says, but only "Between 50 to 70 percent." Nevertheless, "We see that the wave is already coming. In France, there is a 500 percent increase in file openings. In South Africa, there is also a significant awakening. In North America, we see month after month that the number of Aliyah files being opened is twice as much as before. It's consistent, and not a peak. And it's crazy because even under war, under rockets, under a semi-existential threat from the north and Iran – amid all this, Olim are coming in numbers that haven't been seen in any other year, and twice as many are seriously interested in making Aliyah to Israel."

Are they coming out of Zionism and love for the country, or because of the difficulty of living in the United States at such a time, with blatant antisemitism in the streets?

"They are coming first and foremost because of love for Israel and solidarity. Most of the Olim are young or young families. On our tours abroad, especially in North America, they tell us: we want to participate in building Israel in the day after. After the Yom Kippur War and the 1982 Lebanon War, there were similar waves of Aliyah from people who felt more connected to Israel than ever. Among the many fallen in the war, there were quite a few lone soldiers, and we have sad but moving stories of parents who decided to make Aliyah to Israel after their son was killed in battle. The family of Andrei Kozlov, the hostage who was freed in a military operation a few weeks ago, is also now makeing Aliyah to Israel."

A Picture of Victory

Even before October 7, Kahana says, Minister of Aliyah and Integration Ofir Sofer instructed the ministry staff to focus on encouraging young Olim from western countries. Some Olim come for undergraduate or graduate studies, others are young doctors and psychologists who come with their families, and more. "Today, we provide increased assistance to Olim who choose to live in the north, the south, Judea and Samaria, or national priority areas. They receive two years of support of two thousand shekels per month for rent," Kahana says. Most Olim prefer cities with established Anglo-Saxon communities; but according to Kahana, new such communities are slowly being created, partly with the ministry's encouragement: "For example, in Kiryat Gat, an amazing Anglo-Saxon community is developing and growing."

The Director General of the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration reports that in the past year, a revolution has been taking place in the services the ministry provides to immigrants. "Hundreds of employees accompany them, checking where they are learning Hebrew and how, where the children are being educated, and whether they are finding suitable employment. Those coming from western countries can usually integrate quickly into the Israeli job market. I have a friend who works at Amazon, and when he opened two positions at Amazon in Tel Aviv – within two days, he received five inquiries from Jews in North America who told him they wanted to make Aliyah to Israel and get one of those jobs.

"We are developing many programs around the question of how to integrate them, not just how to get them to make Aliyah. Many of them have opportunities all over the world. A young person from New York who was sure they wanted to study at Columbia, but changed their mind because of the situation – could go to Miami, where it's easier, or to Los Angeles. In other words, in the end, we also need to be attractive. Other countries do this too, looking for doctors: England, Germany, Hungary, and even Canada."

Regarding the antisemitic propaganda in the USA – might it not intensify if Jews are perceived as "potential Israelis"? Presenting them as citizens who are not truly loyal to the USA.

"American Jews tell us that antisemitism doesn't ask that question. An antisemite is an antisemite not because Jews come to Israel. But we act responsibly and professionally, and greatly respect the places Jews come from. Minister Sofer is in close contact with community and federation leaders. I don't think Aliyah increases antisemitism; unfortunately, it grows on its own."

Maybe it weakens the fight against it. If the solution we offer is "leave, come to Israel" – it's kind of giving up.

"In the government and even in the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, efforts are made to strengthen the Jews there. There are sabbaticals, tours, and visits. Yes, October 7 was a great blow to the state and the nation, but Aliyah is a picture of victory, and it is a great opportunity for the State of Israel. These people come and strengthen us, they are a tremendous human resource, and the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration sees itself as the human resources department of the state as well."

What message would you like to convey to the Israeli public?

"The public must be partners in the great challenge of absorbing Olim. We are all immigrants or children of immigrants. In the Aliyah wave of the 1990's, the public in Israel was committed to the integration efforts. Soon, we will launch a campaign that will once again call on Israelis to welcome Olim. This is always true, and certainly during wartime. The Olim are building Israel, and we must do everything to integrate them – in the neighborhood, in employment, in communities, and in schools. This is an important statement to the Israeli public internally, but it also calls on our brothers abroad – come."

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Israel's government decided on Sunday to issue national identity cards to new olim, or immigrants, at its main airport in a move to reduce crowds and wait times.

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Starting in June, new immigrants arriving in Israel will receive ID cards at Ben-Gurion Airport through a branch office of the Aliyah and Integration Ministry.

This will eliminate the need for immigrants to go through the difficult process of scheduling an appointment at the Interior Ministry.

"We are doing the best of our ability to balance the needs of the population with what the Interior Ministry is able to offer. I congratulate my friend, Aliyah and Integration Minister Ofir Sofer, for his partnership and commitment to new olim," Interior Minister Moshe Arbel said in a statement.

Sofer said, "Immediate issuance of identity cards will allow the new olim to start leading a proper lifestyle in Israel. This is great news for aliyah, and I pledge to do whatever possible to help olim become more comfortable in Israel."

The ministers also agreed that they will work together so that the ID cards issued to new olim by the Aliyah and Integration Ministry and Integration will be biometric identity cards, which until now are only issued at Interior Ministry offices.

 Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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Marilyn Berkowitz, 84, has a message for her fellow retirees thinking of heading south to sunny destinations: consider Israel.

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"A lot of our contemporaries have gone to Florida," the recent immigrant said. "But I think they should become sandbirds, not snowbirds."

Berkowitz and her husband, Joel Tenenbaum, 81, were profiled recently in the Jewish Telegraph Agency for a story on the record number of older Americans and Canadians choosing to retire on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean.

A few weeks ago, Joel Tenenbaum, 81, and Marilyn Berkowitz, 84, arrived in Tel Aviv on an El Al flight from New York ready to start their new lives in Israel.

They had met through @Jdate five years earlier. Each was…

https://t.co/cxuFw9Pdg6 via https://t.co/y3Jb3GvVth pic.twitter.com/YrECdgKxzn

— Nefesh B'Nefesh (@NefeshBNefesh) January 19, 2022

According to data compiled by Nefesh B'Nefesh, a non-profit organization that facilitates North American immigration to Israel, 762 immigrants to Israel from North America last year were 55-years-old and up, representing 17% out of the 4,478 total immigrants from across the Atlantic.

The record number of older olim (immigrants to Israel) in 2021 represents a 23% increase over the previous year's total of 580 immigrants 55 and over.

"Israel is becoming a more attractive place, specifically for people at the age of retirement," Marc Rosenberg, vice president of Diaspora partnerships at Nefesh B'Nefesh, told JTA.

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"With increasing technology, cell phones and internet use, Israel is much more international now, especially with apps that allow people to get around, navigate and do their banking online," he added.

Nefesh B'Nefesh has brought over 70,000 olim to Israel since 2002, of whom more than 90% have remained in the Jewish state.

i24NEWS contributed to this report.

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Though Philadelphia native Steve Reich, 31, made aliyah just four months ago, he has already made meaningful friendships, and expressed feeling accepted and welcomed by Tel Aviv's community of international olim, new immigrants to Israel. Through his peers, he told JNS, "I have become connected to our indigenous homeland."

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Reich, who made aliyah due to "Zionism, love for the land, a sense of adventure, starting over, and seeking a life of meaning," was a former teacher in the United States and now works as a personal trainer in Tel Aviv. He attributes much of this sense of positive adjustment to events in Tel Aviv for young professionals that he has attended in the last few months.

He and hundreds of other Tel Aviv residents in their 20s and 30s regularly attend events hosted by Tribe Tel Aviv, an organization that brings together internationals with influential writers, thinkers, professionals, and decision-makers impacting Israel, Zionism, and Jewish life. Its "Sunset Series" events include happy hours with speakers, a brief Q&A session, and mingling over cocktails.

Reich, who has attended a handful of events and Shabbat lunches with Tribe Tel Aviv, maintained that he has gained a stronger appreciation of community and Jewish identity through the events. "I have become encouraged to engage and be more involved in Israeli society, and I better understand the needs of the country, economy, and what it means to be Israeli."

He added that he has already made a new friend – a Jaffa-based Arab who grew up in eastern Jerusalem, with whom he had a meaningful conversation at a recent event that featured Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, who grew up in Gibraltar.

"It was an exciting and inspiring speech, and gave me a stronger sense of Zionism and a feeling that I have access to participate in political life," said Reich. "It's a really great feeling, as I am still new here and feel a little unsettled, and I am trying my hardest to feel connected. To know that someone who is also an oleh chadash ('new immigrant') can be so successful politically is pretty inspiring."

With a message of "pride for the miracle of what our people have achieved," Hassan-Nahoum imparted to the group that "they have someone who thinks like them in government."

She described the bravery it takes for those to uproot their lives by choice and move to Israel seeking a better, but often more challenging, life.

"Even people who have been in Israel for a while can feel like an immigrant. I feel that way, even after being in Israel for nearly 21 years and taking part in the establishment," the deputy mayor told JNS.

After another recent event featuring former Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren, Reich recalled feeling "energized, with a sense of hope and agency towards the future of Israel."

"Israel has a lot of needs to address," acknowledged Reich, "but we are part of that plan."

Rabbi Jonathan Feldman, who holds a PhD in Jewish thought, philosophy, and Kabbalah from New York University, heads Tribe Tel Aviv with the goal of offering new opportunities for young people to connect with Israel, and inspire them with Torah and Judaism. After running Jewish programming for young people in Manhattan for 17 years, he made aliyah with his family and is now the director of community engagement for the Am Yisrael Foundation, the larger umbrella foundation that runs Tribe Tel Aviv.

"I want people to be more engaged with Israel, understand its challenges, engage with Zionism, and help build the country and its future," Feldman told JNS. "I want to help them on a grassroots level in building community, networking for jobs, engaging them in idealism, and thinking about and contributing to Israel's future."

Speakers like Hassan-Nahoum, he said, help encourage new arrivals to do just that.

"She encouraged them to work on their Hebrew, but also showed that speaking another native language is not a barrier but an asset. She is a model for them as someone who has made it here and impacts Israel," he said.

Reich agreed, saying, "having events for people with a similar background, language, and culture to discuss the society they are becoming a part of – and their importance in that – gives us a support network and helps develop one's connection to Israel."

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 Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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The arrivals of the newly minted Israelis continued non-stop since Operation Guardian of the Walls on Monday, with as many as 131 landings on Tuesday alone. By the weekend, another 90 will have arrived, the Aliyah and Integration Ministry said on Wednesday.

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At least 30 of the immigrants hail form the US and Canada, while 26 are French citizens and eight are UK nationals. Another four are Ukrainian and one is from Brazil. There is even an Australian.

Upon arrival, the new immigrants were greeted by ministry officials at the Ben-Gurion International Airport and were briefed on the complicated situation in their new home and on what procedures they should follow when hearing the sirens, including on how to find a protective space when rockets land.

At least one oleh is now living in Ashkelon, one of the most severely hit cities in the recent escalation, and many others have also been willing to settle in cities and towns not far from the Gaza Strip despite the likelihood of having to endure constant rocket fire.

Aliyah and Integration Minister Penina Tamanu-Shata said: "I welcome their arrival in these difficult times, which demonstrates that Israel is strong against its enemies. I salute them for not being deterred from the situation and decided to build their new home in Israel. Continued aliyah bolsters our national resilience."

The ministry has set up a new center to aid olim in their adjustments, together with the Mashabim Center. This new center will run in multiple languages and operate until midnight each day.

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Hundreds of Ethiopian olim (immigrants) on Thursday arrived to a festive ceremony at Ben-Gurion International Airport, as the government took a step toward carrying out its pledge to reunite hundreds of families split between the two countries.

Some 300 people landed on the Ethiopian Airlines flight, with many waving flags or stopping to kiss the ground as they streamed off the aircraft onto a red carpet. Many were dressed in traditional Ethiopian robes, and many women held babies in their arms. Festive Hebrew songs were blasted over loudspeakers.

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Although the families are of Jewish descent and many are practicing Jews, Israel does not consider them Jewish under religious law. Instead, they were permitted to enter the country under a family-unification program that requires special government approval.

A large delegation of Israeli officials welcomed the group, and Absorption Minister Pnina Tamano-Shata, the country's first Ethiopian-born cabinet minister, traveled to Ethiopia to join them on the flight.

"My wife Sara and myself were standing there with tears in our eyes," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a welcoming ceremony. "This is the essence of our Jewish story, the essence of the Zionist story."

Community activists have accused the government of dragging its feet in implementing a 2015 decision to bring all remaining Ethiopians of Jewish lineage to Israel within five years. Netanyahu's Likud party repeated that pledge before national elections early this year.

The Struggle for Ethiopian Aliyah, an activist group promoting family unification, estimates some 7,000 Ethiopian Jews remain behind in Ethiopia, some of whom have been waiting for years to join their families.

"Once again, the government led by Prime Minister Netanyahu has decided to place quotas on the immigration of Jews from Ethiopia," said Muket Fenta, an activist who has been fighting for over a decade to bring his aunt to Israel.

"The government is celebrating a few hundred immigrants from Ethiopia, while thousands were supposed to be here and are still left behind while their fate is in question," he said.

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The allegation was put forth by the NGO Hiddush, citing data gathered by the Israeli government, Israel National News reported.

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Hiddush – a trans-denominational progressive group backed by the Reform, Reconstructionist, and Conservative movements – filed a freedom of information request with Israel's Administration of Border Crossings, Population, and Immigration, a part of the Interior Ministry.

"What we know about North American Jews who make aliyah (or immigrate) is in complete contradiction with the false data presented by the stated report," Nefesh B'Nefesh told Israel National News.

"It is an affront to call to question the 'Jewishness' of these men, women, and children who have made the difficult decision to leave family, friends, jobs, and a certain lifestyle, to build their lives in the Jewish homeland.

"Additionally, our data, which we have verified through our partnership with the Jewish Agency, unequivocally contradicts the figures in the article. Less than 3% of the olim who have made aliyah in the last eight years from North America have done so exclusively using section 4A of the Law of Return. Anyone who is at all familiar with aliyah and olim from North America knows that it is unfathomable that 70% of them are not considered Jewish according to Halachah (Jewish law). We therefore look forward to the revised data being published promptly," Nefesh B'Nefesh said.

From the beginning of 2010 through the end of 2019, meanwhile, more than 255,000 new immigrants moved to Israel from 150 different countries, according to data provided this week to the Jewish Agency.

The largest numbers of immigrants came from Russia, Ukraine, France, the United States, and Ethiopia. The largest number of immigrants, or olim, came in 2019, when about 34,000 will have arrived.

According to the Jewish Agency data, more than half the olim arriving over the last decade (approximately 130,000 people) hailed from the former Soviet Union; more than 55,000 from Europe (with more than 38,000 coming from France); around 36,000 from North America (over 32,000 from the US and more than 3,800 from Canada); around 13,420 from Latin America (around 4,320 from Brazil and around 3,150 from Argentina); nearly 10,500 from Ethiopia; more than 2,560 from South Africa; more than 1,950 from Oceania, the majority from Australia; and around 1,700 came from the rest of Africa and Asia (among them around 1,180 from India and more than 190 from Hong Kong and China).

The report also showed that over 3,040 new immigrants moved from Middle Eastern states with which Israel does not have diplomatic relations.

"You came here from the four corners of the Earth in order to fulfill the Zionist dream and strengthen the State of Israel," the Jewish Agency's Chairman Isaac Herzog said at an event for new immigrants.

"Over the last 10 years, more than a quarter-million immigrants made aliyah with assistance from the Jewish Agency. They chose to live in Israel out of a sense of deep connection and a desire to build their futures and the future of their children in this country," he added.

Around 60% of the immigrants during this decade were under the age of 45.

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These will be held in cooperation with Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael, Israel's Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, the Jewish Agency for Israel and Jewish National Fund-USA.

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"For many, aliyah is a lifelong dream, and these events offer individuals of all ages and demographics an opportunity to explore the practicalities of making those dreams a reality," said Rabbi Yehoshua Fass, co-founder and executive director of Nefesh B'Nefesh. "These winter events and meetings are designed to empower potential olim by giving them vital resources and networking opportunities to ensure that their immigration can be as smooth as possible."

Informational events will be held in Montreal; Toronto; Great Neck, NY; and Cleveland.

The organization will also be hosting a brand-new workshop for retirees and empty-nesters in Queens, NY, on Nov. 17, as well as expanded "Aliyah Dollars and Sense" financial workshops in Boston, Atlanta, Chicago, Florida and Teaneck, NJ.

Additional events to be offered are "Buying and Renting a Home in Israel" in Los Angeles, San Diego, Queens and Teaneck; an Israel Networking Event for Young Professionals in New York City on Nov. 21; and a Nefesh B'Nefesh Pavilion at the Orthodox Union Jewish Community Fair on Nov. 24th in New York City, where there will representatives from six of the most popular communities to which new immigrants head once in Israel.

A full list of events and meetings can be found here.

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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Israel, like the United States, is a nation of immigrants. Jews who arrived from every corner of the globe to settle in their homeland. And although life here has become much easier over the years, finding one's footing can still prove quite difficult. However, every year, hundreds of olim make aliyah and many change the country for the better. 

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According to the Jewish Agency for Israel, some 16,000 olim made aliyah in the first six months of 2019 alone. From January to September 2019, the number of olim arriving in Israel through the Jewish Agency reached 26,574, an increase of 27% compared with the same period last year. 

Below are a few immigrants – the majority of whom made aliyah through with Nefesh B'Nefesh (and its partners, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael, Israel's Ministry of Aliyah & Integration, The Jewish Agency for Israel and Jewish National Fund-USA) – who've not only found a home in Israel but have flourished and embody the Zionist spirit of optimism and preservance.

As Israel celebrates Aliyah Day, these olim talk about why packing up their bags and coming home was the best decision they've ever made.

Tatiana Hasson, 27, Director of Engagement at The Israel Innovation Fund and Director of Wine on the Vine Made aliyah in 2016 from Boston.

"Making aliyah was something I dreamed of since I was 18. At 25, I was ready to live my best life in the

place I wanted to be most.

The culture, people, and inspiration in Israel was what caused such a strong pull for me to Israel. Yes, sometimes it's hard to pick up and leave a life behind, but I was stoked to move to a place where I would be happiest and the best version of myself. Though sometimes it is difficult, I can confidently say that since making aliyah there has never been a day that I regret my decision.

Israel has allowed me to flourish and continue to strive to be the happiest, most fulfilled and driven version of myself. Israel is a place that creates an opportunity for young people to succeed – and I hope that every oleh can find their success here."

Arsen Ostrovsky, 39, Executive Director of The Israeli-Jewish Congress (IJC), Made aliyah in 2012 from New York

"As a proud Zionist, making aliyah has afforded me the tremendous opportunity and privilege to have a direct say on the future and direction of the State of Israel, as well as to raise our family here in the Jewish state. Moreover, it has fulfilled a sense of 'belonging,' adding greater meaning and purpose to my life.

As someone deeply involved in Israel advocacy and outreach to Jewish communities in the Diaspora, I have a much greater and personal appreciation of the threats and challenges we face, and therefore the ability to make the case for Israel, as well as reaffirm the importance of strengthening our bond with the Diaspora."

Miriam Ballin, 32, Founder and National Director of the United Hatzalah Psychotrauma and Crisis Response Unit, made aliyah in 2012 from Texas.

"Coming to live in Israel, which geographically, is a small, minute state, surrounded by enormous threat on a constant basis, still manages to succeed in everything it does. To be able to be a part of that and contribute in ways that can only enhance Israel's resilience, success, and performance internationally, has been the best thing to ever happen to me." 

Scott Neiss, Executive Director of Israel Lacrosse, made aliyah in 2012 from New York

"I feel like I have a purpose here.  We're a small country and we're a young, fledgling country.  I've always been motivated and hard-working but in Israel, I'm able to see my impact right away.

That's the driver for me.  There's still an opportunity to not just contribute to the country, but to be a part of shaping it.  In eight years, that romanticism hasn't faded. Every day is new and exciting, and, unlike America, most of the time, things move fast and without red tape."

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