More than two hundred people from North America kicked off the summer aliyah season when they made Israel their new home when they landed in the Holy Land early Tuesday morning.
The plane landed early Tuesday morning at Ben Gurion International Airport to a tremendous crowd all there to greet the olim with songs, dance, and hugs in their first hours as Israel’s newest citizens.
“I’m where I belong,” gushed one of the new olim to Israel National News as her family danced around her. “I was very inspired by what I saw here…I’m very blessed.”
The flight was coordinated by Nefesh B’Nefesh, a non-profit organization dedicated to encouraging diaspora Jews to return home to Israel, in cooperation with Israel’s Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, as well as the Jewish Agency for Israel, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael (KKL), and JNF-USA.
Among the 200 passengers were 14 soon-to-be IDF soldiers, 34 families, 78 children, and 51 singles. The newest citizens plan to work in a wide range of professions and will make their home in communities throughout the Holy Land.
According to Rabbi Yehoshua Fass, founder of Nefesh B’Nefesh, this was the 56th charter flight since the organization opened in 2002.
