In times of strife, we yearn to come home

When there’s a crisis at home, home is where we need to be — home is where we want to be.

Beneath the darkening clouds of war that covered Israel this week, 64 new olim from the United States arrived in Medinat Israel on Tuesday.

Ranging in age from 8 months to 91 years old, they made aliyah with Nefesh B’Nefesh in partnership with the Ministry of Aliyah and Immigration Absorption, the Jewish Agency for Israel, KKL and JNF-USA.

Becky Kupchan, 26, landed from Chicago enroute to her new home in Beer Sheva in the South, where rockets were falling.

“I’m not afraid,” she said. “I’m a Jew and I’ve always dreamed about making aliyah to Israel, my home.”

“The olim who’ve chosen to make aliya during these challenging days are real heroes,” said Nefesh B’Nefesh executive director Rabbi Yehoshua Fass. “Each one of them fills our heart with pride and great inspiration.”