Newton man heeds call of duty
By Richard Conn/Daily News staff
GateHouse News Service

Orr Inbar always knew this day would come. He's long felt the sense of duty and overwhelming pride.

"I've always wanted to defend the Jewish homeland," Inbar said.

The 23-year old Newton resident today will board a plane along with more than 180 other American Jews who each have one-way tickets to Israel. From all ages and backgrounds, they are immigrating to Israel because of their ideological convictions.

In Judaism, it's called 'Aliyah,' the Hebrew term meaning 'going up' and refers to the spiritual and physical journey of moving to the Jewish homeland.

Inbar will join the Israeli Defense Forces once he arrives. In Israel, joining the military is a mandatory national service for Jewish men and women over the age of 18. Men serve three years in the IDF, while women serve two years. The importance of military service has long been ingrained in Israel's culture, Inbar said.

"Over there, joining the army is pretty much like going to college here," Inbar said.

But joining the IDF is more than a duty to Inbar, it's a privilege. From a very young age, Inbar felt the lure of his Jewish heritage and knew he would eventually return to Israel.

"It's really important for me to go back and just be a part of it," he said.

Inbar's parents were both born in Israel, but later moved to the U.S. Inbar was born in Indiana, but moved back to Israel with his parents when he was only 8 years old. He returned to the U.S. at age 14.

Now living in Newton, he recently graduated from the University of Massachusetts with a degree in biochemistry.

Inbar said he hasn't decided yet whether he will one day return to the United States.

Inbar's immigration to Israel was made possible by Nefesh B'Nefesh, an organization that since 2002 has helped more than 15,000 Jews in both North America and Great Britain move to Israel by removing or lessening some of the financial, professional, logistical or social obstacles.

"Although the arrival of our 15,000th Nefesh B' NeFesh immigrant this summer is an exciting and significant milestone, we look toward the future with growing excitement as we anticipate facilitating the expansion of western immigration to Israel," Danny Ayalon, former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S who is now chairman of Nefesh B'Nefesh, said in a press release.

Inbar realizes that he's heading into a "hotzone" for conflict and said he is prepared for the challenge. And while he has concerns, his sense of duty to his homeland supersedes any trepidation.

"I think the sense of pride and excitement overshadows that," he said.