According to Rosenberg's statistics, aliyah from the United States is at its lowest point since 1968. Only 1,323 Americans made the leap in 1999, a 15 percent decline from 1998 and some 7,000 less than its peak in 1971.

The trend is similar in Canada and Australia, causing immigration officials to wonder what can be done to put aliyah back on the agenda in the West.

One word is emerging as a mantra in all efforts to attract more Western immigrants: jobs. With Israel's high-tech sector booming, it appears to be a natural place to absorb large numbers of educated Westerners who don't want to forfeit their high standard of living.

In a strategy the agency calls "aliyah in stages," potential immigrants are brought to Israel through a combination of programs.

"How are they going to fall in love with Israel if they don't meet Israel?" Rosenberg asked. "To meet Israel you have to come for a significant period of time."