Landmark day for North American aliya

by Sam Ser
Jerusalem Post
July 13, 2005
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1121135430058

The largest number of North American new immigrants ever to arrive 
in a single day touched down at Ben-Gurion Airport on Wednesday 
morning, as some 500 Jews from the United States and Canada 
emerged almost simultaneously from two chartered El Al airplanes 
to begin their new lives in Israel. 

The gathering marked what was easily the largest turnout in recent 
years organized by Nefesh B'Nefesh - an organization that helps 
facilitate North American aliya - the Jewish Agency and their many 
other partners. 

It was also significant, not only because it included the first Nefesh 
B'Nefesh charter flight from Canada, but because it kicked off a year 
in which the number of flights and new immigrants - up to eight and 
well over 3,000, respectively - will nearly equal the figures from all 
three previous years of Nefesh B'Nefesh's activity combined. 

While he trumpeted that success, Nefesh B'Nefesh cofounder 
Tony Gelbart insisted that it would not be the end of his group's 
efforts. 

"This is just the beginning. We are rolling up our sleeves and 
getting to work," said Gelbart. "If you think these two planes are 
something, well, you ain't seen nothing yet." 

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon jokingly challenged Gelbart, saying 
that the two had just "made a deal" to bring 10,000 North American 
Jews to Israel next year. 

Addressing the lively crowd of new immigrants and the friends, 
family and well-wishers who greeted them at a large open hangar 
at the airport's old Terminal 1, Sharon added, "We have always 
needed you, but now we need you more than ever." 

Vice Prime Minister Shimon Peres called the double landing 
"the best news we could have had after yesterday," referring to 
Tuesday's deadly suicide bombing in Netanya. 

Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom also addressed the crowd, 
noting the difference between the immigration engaged in by 
people of other countries, and aliya, the Zionism-driven immigration 
to Israel. "This is a special kind of immigration," he said, 
"done by special people." 

Aside from all the politicians in attendance, politics were 
conspicuous in their absence from the ceremony. 

Of the many colored flags hanging from the banners of the hangar, 
none was orange, the color of the anti-disengagement movement. 
Seeking to "preserve the integrity of the ceremony" and keep its 
focus on aliya alone, Nefesh B'Nefesh asked those wearing orange 
to cover up with Nefesh B'Nefesh t-shirts. Orange was not even 
among the many colors of balloon animals handed out to children 
by the clown on hand. Homemade signs, a staple of past arrival 
ceremonies, were not allowed this time. 

Political expression didn't seem to be the main concern for anyone, 
however, as parents struggled to keep together their numerous 
children and even more numerous luggage, and young single 
immigrants sought out their friends. 

The emotion of the day was powerful for the new immigrants, 
whether they were middle-aged couples who had waited half 
their lives to settle in Israel, or energetic 19-year-olds eager to 
join the army; long embraces, dancing and I-can't-believe-it smiles 
were de rigueur. 

While the realization of the dream of joining the Jewish people in 
their homeland was evidently sweet for the new immigrants - 
part of what the Jewish Agency calls "aliya by choice" - it was 
also somewhat bitter for at least a few of them. One woman in her 
early 20s wept as hard upon landing as she did while parting from 
her parents in Toronto. She was caught between the desire to 
settle in Israel and her bond with her family, she admitted. 
Sighing, she said simply, "I didn't know it would be this hard."