BEN GURION AIRPORT, Israel – The nation of Israel saw an unprecedented wave of Jewish immigration this summer, and it happened even in the middle of a war. We traveled to Tel Aviv as a special charter flight landed late in August, bringing dozens of families, answering a call that is historic, biblical, and deeply personal.
A jumbo jet arrived from New York to Ben Gurion airport, carrying with it 225 passengers…and Israel’s future.
Upon landing, passenger Shawn Fink told us, “This is overwhelming. It’s unbelievable. it’s a dream come true, and it is, it’s absolutely surreal.”
It’s also a celebration for the American and Canadian Jewish passengers, and a homecoming promised by God.
David Tauber was a Philadelphia pediatrician who moved his family to Israel.
He declared, “We’re fulfilling the dream of dreams. We are trying to come and rebuild the land, and we’re (here) to just actually make history.”
The Jews’ return to Israel is called “Aliyah.”
Rabbi Yehoshua Fass explained, “Aliyah is when a Jew from around the world, from the diaspora, returns home and becomes a citizen of the State of Israel.”
In Hebrew, aliyah means “to go up” or “ascend,” so, in Bible times, they went up to Jerusalem for the feasts, and for these people arriving today, it’s just as important. They’re here to fulfil a lifelong dream, begin again, and even to help out in a time of war.
Two women we spoke to are moving from St. Louis and Los Angeles and plan to enlist in the Israel Defense Forces. Given the danger, we were asked not to use their names. But at just 18 and 20 years old, they say they’re ready for the deadly task of defeating Hamas.
One of them told us, “It feels right. You know, home is home, and I think it feels the most right for me personally to come give back, and that is where I feel closest to my family and to myself.”
The other added, “I’m the same way, I feel that is the right thing for me right now, and I feel very connected to Israel, and it’s the place I want to be.”
We asked, “And the danger? There’s a war going on here.”
One of the young women replied, “It makes me want to do it more.”
***Please sign up for CBN Newsletters and download the CBN News app to ensure you keep receiving the latest news.***
This is the 65th charter flight for Nefesh B’Nefesh (“Soul to Soul”), the organization that partners with Israel’s Ministry of Aliyah and Immigration.
Tony Gelbart from Nefesh B’Nefesh observed, “This is our 65th flight, and it’s over 90,000 people (that) have moved to Israel from around the world, but mostly from the United States.”
The U.S. flight was the first charter flight since October 7th, 2023, when Hamas murdered and kidnapped more than 1,200 people near the Gaza Strip. The flight also set a new record. August saw more than 1,000 new immigrants, the highest total in more than 20 years.
Another new immigrant, Itai Baskin, said, “We always wanted to, and we knew we were going to do it. And like, my dad kept saying that, like, what are we doing in America? We should be in Israel right now.”
The flight included 125 children and people ranging in age from 72 down to six months. They came from Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, even Ontario, Canada.
Gelbart noted, “Here on these flights, we have doctors, lawyers, engineers, chiropractors, students, loan soldiers, housekeepers, clergy.”
And all are Zionists – a person who believes in the development and protection of their Jewish nation.
We asked new immigrant David Fane, “When you talk to your non-Jewish friends back in Detroit and they’re going, ‘There’s a war going on, what are you doing, David?’ What do you tell them?”
Fane responded, “You only get one chance to live your dream. And this is the dream, and this is the place for the Jewish people, and you only get one chance to live your life. And so I have to live it.”
Aliyah is rooted in the biblical promise of a designated place for the descendants of Abraham. For many here, it’s more than returning to their land, it’s responding to a divine call – and the blessings that come with it.
Fane admitted, “I don’t know what that means here in Israel, but I know that I’m home, and I know that I’m part of something bigger than me. And God will help me, (Hebrew) God will give me a way to go, and I’ll figure it out.”
As the bus took them to the terminal, the celebration continued – a Zionist dream, now a reality, and the promise of a new beginning, even in the face of war.
This is the homeland of the Jewish people,” Fane said. “We – this is what we pray towards Jerusalem, wherever we are in the world. And even if it’s a time of war, this is where our people are meant to be.”
