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| North America: 1-866-4-ALIYAH • United Kingdom: 0800-075-7200 • Israel: 02-659-5800 |
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Published: 16 Av 5769, טז' אב תשס"ט, August 6, 2009
Link to original article - web - pdf |
From West Point To The IDF: Oleh Joins Record 430 New IDF Soldiers Making Aliyah This Summer
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A flight chartered by Nefesh B’Nefesh and the Jewish Agency arrived in Israel on Tuesday carrying 238 new olim from North America.
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This summer’s second charter aliyah flight, organized by Nefesh B’Nefesh and the Jewish Agency, arrived on Tuesday, bringing 238 North Americans. The new arrivals are joining over 3,000 Western olim coming to Israel this summer on 16 aliyah flights—comprising 4 charter and 12 group flights. On this week’s flight were 55 olim soon to be drafted into the IDF, who are among 430 young North Americans and Britons arriving this summer through Nefesh B’Nefesh’s recently expanded soldier aliyah fund.
One of the new soldiers, Tsvi Mark from Maryland, who plans to enlist in the IDF’s elite Egoz unit immediately after making aliyah, was training at the West Point U.S. Military Academy when he decided to make aliyah. “I had always wanted to join the U.S. army and train at West Point, but once I was there I realized that what I really wanted was to go home, to our land, our people, and our army.”
Also on board was a large contingent of 35 olim from Cleveland, Ohio. The CEO of American Greetings Corporation, Zev Weiss, joined them to accompany his dear friend, and CEO of Intellectual Property Joseph Mandelbaum, who made aliyah on the flight.
This charter plane featured the winning logo of the Nefesh B’Nefesh and BabagaNewz.com, an educational website for Jewish middle-schoolers and teachers, ‘Destination Israel’ logo design contest, which encouraged students in Grades 4–7 to create an aliyah plane logo. The winning entry, drawn by sixth grader Esther Bellinsky, was painted on the side of this flight.
Hundreds of families and friends, as well as Israeli dignitaries, gathered at Ben Gurion airport to welcome the country’s newest olim at the Nefesh B’Nefesh arrival ceremony. Those present included: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; Director General of the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption Dmitry Apartsev; Chairman of the Jewish Agency Natan Sharansky; Head of the Education Department in the IDF’s Education and Youth Corps Colonel Roni Sulimani; CEO of El Al Israel Airlines Haim Romano; and Co-Founders of Nefesh B’Nefesh Rabbi Yehoshua Fass and Tony Gelbart.
Founded in 2002, Nefesh B’Nefesh in cooperation with the Israeli government and the Jewish Agency for Israel, is dedicated to revitalizing aliyah from North America and the UK by removing or minimizing the financial, professional, logistical, and social obstacles of aliyah. The support and comprehensive social services provided by Nefesh B’Nefesh to its 20,000 newcomers, has ensured that 98% of its olim have remained in Israel. www.nbn.org.il |
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