From USA to IDF: 55 New Immigrants to Fight for Israel

by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
August 4, 2009

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/132699

Fifty-five new immigrants (olim) scheduled to land at Ben Gurion 
International Airport on Tuesday morning with 183 other olim 
will don army uniforms soon afterwards. Instead of worrying about 
learning how the bus system works, how to shop and how the 
health system works, the young men and women will be fighting 
for the country.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will join Nefesh B’Nefesh 
founders Rabbi Yehoshua Fass and Tony Gelbart to greet the 
newcomers on NBN’s second aliyah flight of the summer. 
NBN has brought thousands of Jews to Israel over the past 
several years and now works with the Jewish Agency to 
promote aliyah to the Jewish State.

The soon-to-be soldiers have enrolled in a program dubbed 
Garin Tzabar, named after the Hebrew word that describes 
native Israelis, and several of the new olim are children of 
former Israelis. NBN noted that the number of olim, as well as 
those wanting to directly start out their new lives by serving 
in the army, has been growing significantly the past two years.

One of those in the program is Zachary Hughes, who made 
his first to Israel in 2003 and has visited 10 more times since 
then. He is fluent in Hebrew and was active in the Princeton 
University Center for Jewish Life and with the Committee for 
Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA).

Eighteen-year-old Sophie Lee, from New Rochelle, New York, 
is planning to make Aliyah to Kibbutz Yizrael, but can’t wait 
to start serving in the IDF. She spent a summer on the 
"Chetz Va’keshet" Israeli army program and another summer 
working for the IDF Spokesperson's Office. She hopes to get 
a degree in International Relations and work for the government 
after serving in the army. 

Myia Shoshan, from Fairfield, Connecticut, is only 17. After 
excelling in her studies, she turned down a full scholarship to 
college in order to move to Israel and serve in the IDF. 

Chicago native Avichai Mitchell, 19, explained he is moving to 
Israel because “this is home, where Jewish people belong.” 
He added, “I also want to serve my country and help protect it.” 
One of those who will be on hand to greet him Tuesday morning 
is the young woman to whom he is engaged.