American Jews who wish to encourage immigration to Israel must stop viewing the country as "a charity case," according to the executive director of an organization that facilitates aliya.

Rabbi Yehoshua Fass, the founder and executive director of Nefesh B"Nefesh, addressed an Oct. 16 gathering at Congregation Ohav Emeth in Highland Park.

He said Israel is too often portrayed as "broken," either through emergency fund-raising campaigns or in the rhetoric of communal leaders.

Why, he asked, would anyone want to leave a comfortable life in suburban America to move to a place that is broken? Instead, Israel should be portrayed as it is: a place of hope and spirituality where Jews can fulfill the age-old dream of living in the Holy Land, Fass said.

He was at Ohav Emeth as a part of an eight-stop northeastern tour with former Israeli Ambassador to the United States Danny Ayalon, Nefesh B"Nefesh codirector.

Nefesh B"Nefesh, founded in 2002 to encourage aliya, or immigration to Israel, says it has brought to Israel about 13,000 new olim, mostly from the United States and Canada.

Fass said rabbis could play a big role in encouraging both a realistic view of Israel and encouraging aliya by speaking out from their pulpits.

"There has to be a change — an attitudinal shift," he said. "We"ve matured. We as a public here in America have a deep sense of patriotism, but we also have to realize we have deep roots in Israel. The idea of talking about or promoting aliya in public — that seems somehow disloyal."

However, Fass said, even American officials view dual citizens of Israel and the United States as "a great bridge between democracies."

The number of olim from the United States has risen steadily in the years since the organization"s founding, according to Fass. Statistically, Nefesh B"Nefesh says, 64 percent of families it brought to Israel are Orthodox, although 52 percent of all singles who made the move affiliate with the Conservative movement.

Fass said he expected the number of immigrants from the United States to continue to increase, helped by an August decision by the Israeli Cabinet to allocate money in the 2008 state budget for Nefesh B"Nefesh and AMI, which supports immigration from France. Although both groups have received state funding since 2005, the cabinet resolution made the temporary allocation a permanent line item in the immigration absorption budget. The resolution will enable the organizations to receive funds not only for their absorption activities within Israel, but also for their emissaries stationed abroad.

The move, shifting the full responsibility for immigration away from the Jewish Agency for Israel, has been criticized by Diaspora organizations who claim Nefesh B" Nefesh brings affluent, educated olim to Israel while JAFI is obligated to facilitate the aliya of all Jews.

Fass said he believed the cabinet decision over time would change the way Jewish federations and the organized Jewish community view the group.

"The leadership of the federation applauds those who decide to make aliya and we wish them a meaningful experience," said Gerrie Bamira, executive director of the Jewish Federation of Greater Middlesex County.

Nefesh B"Nefesh plans to return to Edison Nov. 12 for one-on-one interviews. Those attending the Ohav Emeth program said they came for a variety of reasons.

Lawrence Margolin of Edison said he was considering living in Israel and came to learn more about the organization.

"It did encourage me," he said. "It"s a great place to be living. It"s a great place for kids to learn" and visit the places they learn about in Bible study.

Eric and Shaindy Wallenstein of Highland Park said that although they were not yet considering making aliya, they had heard good things about Fass and Nefesh B"Nefesh.

"We"re interested in the whole topic of the U.S.-Israel-Diaspora relationship," said Eric. Added Shaindy: "Although we"re not thinking of moving, we wanted to get more information, and we found this to be very informative. What was good was that it didn"t make me feel guilty, but still engaged me."

For more information, visit the Nefesh B'Nefesh web site or telephone 866-4-ALIYAH.