SPEAKERS BIO
Arielle Di Porto
Arielle Di Porto, 46, was born in Safi, Morocco. She was raised in Casablanca in a very Zionist family. A strong sense of love for Israel, the people and State of Israel, was palpable and she always knew that she wanted to make Israel her home.
She was active in the Jewish Scouts of Morocco, critical programming that helped her preserve her Judaism and Jewish identity. At the age of 17, after graduating from her French high school and despite her mother’s objection, she came to Israel to pursue higher education. Back in those days, there were no cell phones or e-mail and there was very limited communication between Israel and Morocco so her parents were even more concerned.
Di Porto studied Arabic and Mathematics at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
In 1985, she moved to Italy and lived there for 10 years. She established a Zionist movement of young Italian Jews and encouraged many to move to Israel. In 1987, she began working for The Jewish Agency’s emissary in Rome, first as an assistant and then as an office manger. She was responsible for the Aliyah of the Albanian Jewish community—some 350 people, and managed the Ethiopian immigration when there were no direct flights from Addis Ababa to Tel Aviv. Di Porto also managed critical and sensitive immigration missions that passed through Italy from Tunis, Cuba, and Syria.
In 1993, Di Porto married an Italian Jew and moved back to Jerusalem. Her family joined her in Israel in 2003, when her parents and grandmother came from Morocco. Di Porto has two children, 12 and 14, and is proud to be raising them in Israel.
Arielle Di Porto began working for the Aliyah and Integration Department of the Jewish Agency immediately upon her immigration. In 2005, she was appointed as the director of the French and North African Region and has handled Aliyah of Jews from Iran, Pakistan, Yemen, Lebanon, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia.
As the current Director of Europe and Middle East Geographic Domain in the Aliyah Unit, Di Porto is responsible for promoting Aliyah in Europe and is in charge of Middle Eastern Aliyah. Most recently, she was responsible for the secret immigration of ten Yemenite Jews. Together with the emissary in the region, she helped facilitate their Aliyah and worked to ensure their safe arrival in Israel.
About The Jewish Agency for Israel: Established in 1929, The Jewish Agency for Israel has worked to secure a vibrant Jewish future for over 80 years. The Jewish Agency was instrumental in founding and building the State of Israel and we continue to serve as the official link between the Jewish state and Jewish communities everywhere. This global partnership has enabled us to address the Jewish People’s greatest challenges in every generation.
Today, we connect the global Jewish family, bringing Jews to Israel, and Israel to Jews. We build a better society in Israel - and beyond - energizing young Israelis and their worldwide peers to rediscover a collective sense of Jewish purpose. The Jewish Agency continues to be the Jewish world’s first responder, prepared to rescue and bring Jews home to Israel from countries where they are at-risk.
More information can be found at: jewishagency.org.