Welcome Home to 250 New Israelis!
By The Lekarev Report

More than 2000 Israelis gathered at Ben Gurion airport early yesterday morning to welcome 250 new immigrants from the United States and Canada. 

Among them were 43 young people, boys and girls, from the U.S. who came on Aliya with the deliberate intent to join the IDF.  They will immediately begin a four month program of orientation and preparation after which they will be inducted into the Army. Pictured here are two cousins from New York who came together to serve Israel as IDF soldiers and to build their lives here.

Among the 43 was Elan Bielski, who arrived in Israel to enlist in the IDF nearly 70 years after his notable grandfather, Alexander Bielski, fought the Nazis from a partisan hideout in the Belorussian forest.  Elan said his grandfather was a major factor in his decision to come and enlist.

"The thought of my grandfather certainly motivates me," Bielski said on Wednesday, hours after landing at Ben-Gurion Airport. "The way he fought to protect his family and his people, I can't compare it to myself, but it does inspire me."

The atmosphere was electric with excitement as the first bus, bringing the new olim from the plane to the terminal, approached the entrance.  Spontaneous singing and dancing broke out as the immigrants exited the bus to be received with hugs and smiles, and in some case, tears, by the family and friends awaiting them. 

Among the group were three elderly women in wheelchairs, the oldest being 96!  A group of young women gathered around the three wheelchairs and began to dance and sing around the three.  Soon many others joined in and our newest elderly immigrants enjoyed it all immensely.

The youngest new Israeli was just four months old, a happy baby boy despite the long flight from New York.

This arrival was Nefesh B'Nefesh's 34th Aliya flight and to date, they have brought 16,000 new immigrants to Israel, an impressive achievement.  Their goal is to bring 100,000 Jews home to Israel and while beginning in the USA, they have expanded their work to Canada and England.

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni addressed the new immigrants, welcoming them, and in particular singling out the 43 young people who came on Aliya to join the IDF.  Livni made note that another flight also arrived this morning at Ben Gurion carrying Jews from Georgia who have come to Israel to flee the war with Russia and to make Israel their home.

Finally, I want to offer once again a very warm welcome to the Stevens Family from Arkansas.  It was my joy to be there to greet them and welcome them to Israel.  Their seven children did amazingly well on the long flight and as you can see from this photo, they are quite happy to be home in Israel.

May Hashem grant them and all our new citizens a successful transition into Israeli life and abundant blessings for fulfilling the scriptural mandate to "take possession" of the Land Hashem gave us.

Shalom and blessings,

Shalom For thus said Hashem: Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout at the head of the nations; declare, praise, and say: 'O L-rd, save Your people, the remnant of Israel.' Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the uttermost parts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and the one in labor with child together; a great company shall they return.
Jeremiah 31:7-8 
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