That translates into 3,052 new immigrants from North America, up from 2,640 last year, and 2,980 French Jews making aliyah this year, an increase from the 2,415 from 2004.

Some no doubt came out of concerns about anti-Semitism, others because of the chance to realize their spiritual and ideological dream of Zionism. And while the figures represent significant increases in terms of percentages over recent years, in hard numbers they are just a tiny fraction of the overall Jewish population of their respective countries.

Only 9,124 immigrants came from the former Soviet Union, down about 10 percent from last year, and about 3,700 from Ethiopia, about the same as last year, though the numbers should double in the new year as efforts to bring the Falash Mura out have been stepped up.

There was an increase in the number of Jewish young people taking part in educational programs in Israel - 29,712 on short-term programs, primarily birthright israel, and 5,583 in long-term programs.

One success story has been the Nefesh B’Nefesh program, which, working with the Jewish Agency, has helped revitalize aliyah from the United States the last several years by seeking to alleviate some of the bureaucratic, financial and professional obstacles newcomers face, and make the transition to Israeli society a bit smoother. This week an El Al flight from New York brought 200 newcomers, the seventh Nefesh B’Nefesh flight of the year.

At a time of increasing anti-Semitism in Europe and the ongoing concern over Palestinian-initiated violence in Israel, it is a testament to the Zionist spirit that aliyah is growing from the West. But the greatest tribute will be when more Jews come to Israel to live voluntarily, to fulfill their highest aspirations, rather than as a place of refuge. Moving to Israel should give Jews the feeling not of leaving home but of coming home.

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