Growing up in Sherman Oaks, Danielle Sheldon described herself as "fiercely Zionist."

The 19-year old grew up speaking Hebrew and wore her politics literally on her sleeve. While attending UC San Diego, she made a point of showing up for Arabic class wearing an Israeli Defense Forces T-shirt.
She first visited Israel three years ago and "felt at home immediately."

On Tuesday, Sheldon came "home" for good.

She was one of more than 200 American and British Jews who arrived in Israel to perform "aliyah" -- assuming Israeli citizenship and committing to a new life in the Jewish state.

"The place I belong most in the world is Israel," said Sheldon, who plans to attend graduate school then focus on a military career specializing in counter-terrorism.

Sheldon was part of a planeload of new "olim" who arrived in Israel early Tuesday morning with the help of Nefesh B'Nefesh -- an organization that focuses on bringing North American and British Jews to Israel.

"I wanted to contribute to the Jewish state," said Leah Kroll, a native Angelino and former reform rabbi. "I didn't want to get to the end of my life and be saying, 'I could've. I should've.'"

Organizers of the six-year-old group say they have helped bring more 15,000 new Israeli citizens here -- more importantly it has helped them stay and avoid the sense of alienation that sometimes plagues western Jews here. Several years ago, 54% of new olim from America returned to the U.S. within a year, said Danny Ayalon, the organization's co-chairman.

"They couldn't find a job. They hated the bureaucracy. They didn't feel at home here," said Ayalon, a former Israeli ambassador to the U.S.

Nefesh B'Nefesh, however, boasts a 99% retention rate, organizers say. The group offers comprehensive follow-up and support to help integrate new arrivals, helping with housing and job searches and cutting through the daunting Israeli bureaucracy. 

New arrivals on Tuesday were greeting by a raucous flag-waving crowd of relatives and well-wishers. At a welcoming ceremony former (and likely future) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Natanyahu praised them for their decision.

"It required personal courage. It's not a simple thing to move your family and your life," Netanyahu said. "This is your home now. This is your country!"