|
|
Largest One-Day North American Aliyah in
Israel´s History
17:55 Jul 13, '05 / 6 Tammuz
5765
By Ezra
HaLevi
|
 |
|
The largest number of North
American Jews ever to move to Israel in one day arrived in the
Holy Land Wednesday morning and were greeted with fanfare by
the country’s leaders. |
More than 500 Jews from the US and
Canada boarded two planes, in New York and Toronto Tuesday,
embarking on Aliya, the Hebrew word literally meaning ascent,
which refers to the act of immigrating to Israel.
The
two flights, the first of seven scheduled to arrive this
summer, were organized by Nefesh b’Nefesh, the organization
that began in 2002 by assisting one planeload of new
immigrants overcome the obstacles of immigration and plans to
help 3,200 make the move this year alone.
Hundreds of
former olim (immigrants) gathered in a large hanger at
Ben-Gurion International Airport to greet the new olim. Among
them were many family members of the new arrivals who joyously
anticipated reuniting with their loved ones.
“This is a
family reunion of sorts. I am here, my brother is here and now
my sister is arriving,” said Yishai Ben Mordechai, who waited
on the tarmac for his sister Rebecca Perlin-Fadinof. “My
mother is next. She is the last one.”
Naftali and Chana
Bernin stepped off the plane holding their two cats, Fred and
Skyler. The couple, who met while studying at the WUJS
Institute in the Negev and got married while back in America,
are moving directly to the Gush Etzion town of Alon Shvut. The
natives of Los Angeles and Teaneck, New Jersey respectively
have never been to the town, but are excited about their new
homes. Their message for those still back in the Old Country:
“Come home, we need you here!”
Speeches were delivered
by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Deputy Prime Minister and
Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom and Vice Prime Minister Shimon
Peres. All three steered clear of any talk of the
Disengagement Plan as those present were given shirts to put
on over orange anti-expulsion garments and asked by Nefesh
b’Nefesh to refrain from heckling the officials.
“The
sight of all these Jews from all walks of life coming together
in our land gives us hope,” said Nefesh b’Nefesh co-founder
Rabbi Yehoshua Fass. “We live in a world full of terror and
all sorts of difficulties, but we fight them with life – with
life in our homeland."
Click here for photographer Natan Gesher's
pictures of the new olim arriving in Israel.
Tune
in to Israel National Radio Thursday for the
on-demand broadcast of the historic event.
|
Click
here for our free Daily News Report from Israel
|
Published: 17:36 July 13,
2005
Last Update: 17:55 July 13, 2005 |
 E-mail
 Print
 Homepage
 Top of page |
|
|
|
| |
