Sixty-eight Holocaust survivors have moved to Israel since the start of the war on Oct. 7, 2023, including 50 who made the Jewish state their home in 2024, the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration said on Monday.
According to the official government data, which was published on the occasion of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the oldest new immigrant who survived the Shoah was 98, while the youngest was 81.
The majority, 36, came from Russia, followed by France (13), Ukraine (eight), the United States (six), Germany (three) and Canada (two).
Many of the Holocaust survivors opted to settle in Mediterranean coastal cities such as Netanya (nine), Ashdod, Nahariya, Haifa and Bat Yam, while others moved to Karmiel, Jerusalem, Beersheva, Ra’anana, Holon and Rehovot, the ministry said.
“We welcome everyone who chooses to immigrate to Israel with open arms,” said Aliyah and Integration Minister Ofir Sofer. “The data on immigrants over the past year show that many Jews have decided to immigrate now, including Holocaust survivors at an advanced age.”
“At the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, we provide Holocaust survivors who immigrate with a full support package that includes eligibility for advancement in the waiting list for public housing, financial grants, assistance and additional benefits, which will allow them to live with dignity in the State of Israel,” added the minister.
According to figures from Israel’s Holocaust Survivors’ Rights Authority, 123,715 Holocaust survivors live in Israel, compared to 136,989 at the end of 2023. More than 13,000 Israelis who survived the horrors of Nazi Germany died during 2024.
The average age of survivors who are registered with the state is 88, while 257 survivors who receive welfare services are older than 100.
