Dentists making aliyah take exam in New Jersey

Israel-bound dentists prior to taking their examination, Feb. 24, 2014 (Photo:Shahar Azran)
Israel-bound dentists prior to taking their examination, Feb. 24, 2014 (Photo:Shahar Azran)

PARAMUS, New Jersey (Press Release) – An unprecedented number of 20 dentists from around the United States who are planning to make Aliyah to Israel gathered Tuesday morning, Feb. 24,  to take the Israeli Dentistry Licensing Exam, which was held for them at the Nefesh B’Nefesh (Soul by Soul) offices in Paramus, New Jersey. This is the largest group ever to take the test outside Israel.

Dentists who immigrate to Israel must pass the Dentistry Licensing Examination given by the Ministry of Health’s Dentistry Department in order to practice their profession in Israel. The test has two parts – theoretical and practical – and takes place twice a year in various languages. Following the unique cooperation between Nefesh B’Nefesh and the State of Israel’s Ministry of Health, it was decided that the dentists would be given the opportunity to take the first theoretical exam in the United States to help expedite the process of obtaining an Israeli license and make the process easier for them. The dentists still have to complete the practical part of the exam when they arrive in Israel. This part of the exam must be taken within three years of taking the theoretical exam.

“I think it’s an amazing thing to be able to have the opportunity to take the Israeli Government’s Dentistry Licensing Exam while I am still in the U.S.,” said Debbie Goldschmiedt of New York City, one of the dentists who took the exam on Tuesday. “This new option is saving a lot of waiting time and energy, and more importantly, it will enable me to start working as a dentist and earn a living in Israel shortly after my Aliyah.”

Nefesh B’Nefesh, in partnership with the Ministry of Aliyah and Immigrant Absorption, The Jewish Agency for Israel,Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael and JNF USA, has been assisting the dentists in every area of the exam including completing forms, payment arrangements, and preparing for the exam, as well as serving as a mediator with the Health Ministry.

“The fact that the Israeli Government, and more specifically the Health Ministry, is accommodating dentists interested in making Aliyah, is an extraordinary display of the State of Israel’s willingness to do all in their power to encourage Aliyah,” explained Rabbi Yehoshua Fass, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Nefesh B’Nefesh. “It is an absolute game changer that Olim dentists will now be able to join the Israeli work force shortly after their arrival in Israel.”

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Preceding provided by Nefesh B’Nefesh
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