Shraga Evers is wearing a charming pair of Israeli-flag topped head boppers when Jewish News first meets him at a busy aliyah event at Allianz Park in north London.
It was a chance meeting ahead of a scheduled interview two weeks later but the light-hearted headgear served as a perfect ice breaker for his introductions to a steady stream of visitors making their first enquiries about making the move to Israel.
Jerusalem-based Evers is the co-founder of co-founder of Shivat Zion, (Return to Zion), established in February 2022 and the only NGO (non governmental organisation) recognised by the Jewish Agency dedicated specifically to supporting European Jews during the aliyah process.
Shivat Zion – Shraga Evers and Hannah Kaminski
Born and raised in Amsterdam, he moved to Israel at the age of 17 to study in yeshiva and then served in the IDF. After returning to the Netherlands for further education and later moving to Israel with his wife and eldest daughter, Shraga became acutely aware of a critical gap: the absence of dedicated aliyah support for European Jewish communities.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the need became even more urgent, as many Jews across Europe faced uncertainty without access to clear guidance or professional support.
In response, Evers co-founded Shivat Zion, a comprehensive, professional aliyah organisation tailored to the unique needs of European and Latin American Jewry. It works as a complimentary service alongside organisations including The Ministry of Aliyah and Integration and the Jewish Agency.
Under his leadership, Shivat Zion has grown into a trusted resource for individuals and families considering or beginning their journey to Israel, supporting communities across the EU, (except for France) together with Switzerland, the UK, Scandinavia and parts of the former Soviet Union.
The 9-strong team understand oleh (a Jewish person emigrating to Israel) because they’re olim themselves.
Shivat Zion
Evers says: “We’re here before they start to open their file during the aliyah process and afterwards, long after they’ve done it, and they’ve bumped into issues. They don’t know how to do something, they have a hardship, they have a difficulty. We’re just here for them to provide information and give them a helping hand when they need it.”
He adds: “There are some cultural gaps between England and Tel Aviv. Let’s be honest, whether you need to arrange something or understand the bargaining culture, there’s a lot of differences. So when we help people, we understand where they’re coming from and what they need. And we understand the Israeli field, very, very well.”
Since October 7th, Shiva Zion has been to four aliyah events in the UK, they’re later heading to Antwerp, before moving to Amsterdam for two days of consultations.
Evers spoke to a lot of gap year students in the UK and many of those making initial enquiries were from London and Manchester.
He says that “a lot of people sign up. Yesterday we saw 500 households showing up, with usually around 50% going on to open a file to take the step in the end. There’s a lot of interest from youngsters of 18,19 and 20 years old, which also means they’re going to be drafted. And that has some implications, but a lot of people are thinking about it.”
Also curious are “young families, empty nesters and some older people.”
With the current news cycle it’s inevitable for the diaspora to be considering their options but Evers will “always try to avoid the negative incentive approach. We go by the ideological approach. For us, it’s aliyah for breakfast, for lunch and for dinner on a sunny day and a rainy day.”
Shraga Evers
He’s firmly against the thought process of making aliyah because “people are shouting that it’s the 1930’s. Factually, that’s not right. The world looks different. The Jewish world looks different. Israel exists and that makes the comparison nonsense. And besides, Israel’s also not a country without war or without risk. That shouldn’t be the reason why people make aliyah. We do this because we believe in aliyah and people need help. We constantly learn and try to be there for where they need us.”
Shraga Evers’ last pieces of advice are simple: “Do your homework. Be realistic. Take your time to really understand what you’re doing. What do you want? What fits you? What doesn’t fit you because landing in the wrong community, in the wrong framework, that’s it’s one of the least pleasant experiences.”
“Be flexible,” he adds. “See it as an adventure. Don’t be surprised. Israelis don’t behave like Brits. Making aliyah is not just emigrating; its an experience unique to Israel. Everyone tells you, please come. We’re going to help you. That’s something that in any other country doesn’t exist. There’s no country that sends out agents to get people to their country.”
His message to those considering making the move is that “a lot of people want you here, they want you to succeed” but be under no illusions of the challenges involved; “there’s hardship that happens when you move to any country. It takes time to adjust. It’s very important to stay positive. So say, ‘this is an adventure’.”
Screenshot.
He acknowledges that “Israelis don’t behave like Brits. So when you move to Israel, you have to adjust to the bargaining culture. Work is different. You arrange things differently. But everyone is here to help you. This change that you’re making, whether you’re a youngster or a family with kids, or even an empty nester, you’re making a change for yourself and your future generations. You’re making a tremendous difference.”
According to the Jewish Agency, in 2024 more than 32,000 Jews made aliyah from 100+ countries, including 22,523 from the FSU (Former Soviet Union) and about a third of all immigrants were young adults ages 18-35.
- To find out more about Shivat Zion, click here.
