CBNNews.com - TEL AVIV, Israel - Forty-three young American Jews who arrived in Israel this week plan to begin their new life here by serving in the IDF.

Nefesh B'Nefesh (soul to soul), an organization that helps North American Jews to make aliyah (immigrate to Israel), worked with the Israeli Immigrant Absorption Ministry to facilitate the process.

The first order of business for the new arrivals is learning Hebrew.

For the next three months, each of them will be enrolled in intensive ulpan (Hebrew language classes) at several different kibbutzim (agricultural communities).

Israeli high school graduates go directly into the army for their compulsory service -- three years for men and two for women.

One of the new arrivals, Rachel Schneider, 18, has had her heart set on aliyah since junior high school, but she waited to complete her high school education in the States.

Schneider hopes her parents will also make Israel their home one day.

Source: YNet news