lA trip to Israel as a guest of the Aliyah organization Nefesh B’Nefesh is another first for Shomer Shabbos boxing champ Dmitriy Salita.
He and his new wife, Alona, hopped an El Al flight shortly after he lost a world championship bout in England several weeks ago that lasted just 76-seconds. It was the first loss ever for the 27-year-old North American Light Welterweight Champion from Brooklyn.
The trip is giving Salita “an opportunity to gather my thoughts and decide on my next steps,” he said in a statement released by Nefesh B’Nefesh. “It has been a very powerful experience, and I am very excited to be able to walk in the land of our forefathers. Israelis are the real heroes, they fight every day for the land of the Jews.”
The Salitas extended their trip by a week and are even considering Aliyah, Nefesh B’Nefesh said.
“Dmitriy has captured the hearts of hundreds of thousands of Jews around the world. It is an honor for us to be a part of his first visit to Israel,” said Nefesh B’Nefesh founder Rabbi Joshua Fass.