A planeload of 232 new Israeli citizens from North America, including 59 lone soldiers, arrived at Ben-Gurion Airport on Tuesday morning.
An El Al plane – chartered by Nefesh b’Nefesh (NBN), the premier organization facilitating aliyah (immigration to Israel) from North America and Great Britain – landed at Ben-Gurion Airport Tuesday morning, carrying 232 new Israeli citizens.
The passengers included 29 families with 75 children, nine couples and 86 singles. Among them were 59 “lone soldiers” – IDF volunteers with no family in Israel. They join 850 lone soldiers from the US and the 2,800 from around the world now serving in the Israeli military.
Nefesh B’Nefesh, in cooperation with Friends of the IDF (FIDF), cares for thousands of lone soldiers through the Lone Soldiers Program, which offers guidance and support for all lone soldier immigrants during each stage of their service: pre-immigration, pre-recruitment, during active military service, after release from the army, and during adjustment to civilian life.
This flight is the second of two charters, which, along with six group flights as well as immigrants arriving independently on a daily basis, brings over 2,000 olim (immigrants) through NBN this summer. An estimated 4,000 newcomers are expected from North America in 2015.
As always, an arrival ceremony took place at the airport upon the flight’s landing. Those welcoming the new olim on Tuesday included Minister of Construction Yoav Galant and Natan Sharansky, chairman of The Jewish Agency for Israel.
By: United with Israel Staff
(With files from Nefesh b’Nefesh)
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