Summer’s first aliyah charter from JFK

Issue of July 10, 2009 / 18 Tammuz 5769

By the end of the week Aliza and Yossi Battat expect to be living in a Petach Tivka apartment next door to Yossi’s brother.

The Battat’s, now former Cedarhurst residents, are among a number of local families that are moving to Israel — making aliyah — this summer with the assistance of the Nefesh B’Nefesh organization.

They and their four children and 226 other olim (immigrants) flew from JFK Monday

afternoon on an El Al charter — the first of the summer for Nefesh B’Nefesh. In all, 139 adults and 93 children were on board, hailing from 18 of the United States, plus Canada’s Quebec province. The youngest was just seven weeks old, the oldest 83 years old. Seven dogs and a cat accompanied the olim. This summer 4,000 people from North America and the United Kingdom (plus assorted pets) expect to arrive in Israel on 15 aliyah group flights and charters organized by Nefesh B’Nefesh and the Jewish Agency.



For the Battat’s, the decision for aliyah came four years ago. “We realized the quality of life is better there for raising children,” said Aliza, referring to the freedom the children will have and the environment they will grow up in, living in the Jewish State.

Ayton, the oldest, turns five at the end of July, Elon and Tzvi are three-and-a-half and Rina is 15 months. All attended pre-school at the JCC of the Greater Five Towns.

“I don’t think they understand [what it means to be making aliyah], but they’re very excited for it!” said their mother.

Aliza and Yossi’s friends are excited for the family, as well. “We’re making the trip of a lifetime!” said Aliza.

Ellie and Donny Fein, also from Cedarhurst, plan to fly with Nefesh B’Nefesh on



August 18. They’re moving to Ramat Beit Shemesh Aleph with their 4 children: Sammy, 9, Azi, 7, Shraga, 4, and Akiva, 3 months. The older ones attended Yeshiva of South Shore. “All their cousins are in Israel... so they are very excited,” said Ellie.
Ellie recently left her position as an administrative assistant at Yeshiva of South Shore. Donny is a life insurance broker and plans to continue his business from Israel, with occasional travel.

Donny decided eight years ago to make aliyah but Ellie wasn’t sure. She promised if he could sell their house in this market she would take it as a sign. Donny sold the house. “I had to keep my end of the deal,” said Ellie.

“The hardest part was making the decision. Now that I made it, I’m excited! It’s the best choice for our kids and for us,” Ellie said, adding, “Everyone we know there [in Israel] is so happy!”

Ellie said she was glad to have the support that comes with making aliyah on a Nefesh B’Nefesh flight. Many of the traditional bureaucratic hurdles that confounded or deterred olim or would-be olim of the past have been smoothed away by the relationships the seven year-old organization has forged with Israeli government agencies.

Ellie and Donny have watched Nefesh B’Nefesh videos, they said, finding it “so hard not to be emotional.” Ellie said they are “very excited to experience it ourselves!”

Yudi and Aviva Zuller and their children flew on the Monday flight for their move to

Ma’aleh Adumim. Six years ago the couple bought a house on Staten Island. “Our plan was to be in the house for 10 years. Most people move back their plans. We made it out 4 years ahead,” said Yudi.

In addition to running Graphic Dimensions Press, his printing business in Brooklyn, Yudi has devoted himself to raising money for terror victims in Israel, and has collected over $1 million to date.

Their 14-year-old daughter, Navah, is particularly excited to make aliyah, and 10-year-old Binyamin said, “It’s my destiny.” The two younger children, Kayla, 7, and Gilad, 3, are also happy.

“Aliyah was always a plan, but it was an ‘eventually, one of these days’ kind of thing.” What made it a reality? Yudi’s fundraising and Aviva’s position as director of public relations at Yeshivat Reishit Yerushalayim have sent the two commuting back and forth over the past few years. This, Yudi said, strengthened their connection to Israel. So has Gilad Shalit.

Aviva and Yudi named their youngest child “Gilad” in honor of the Israeli MIA, to be “a big zechus [merit] towards his release and good health and keeping him out of harm’s way.” Yudi has forged a close friendship with Gilad Shalit’s father, Noam.
“My wife and I think of Gilad [Shalit] every hour of every day,” said Yudi. In part, it has inspired their aliyah. “To see the selflessness and sacrifice a 19-year-old is willing to make for his country, that’s something my wife and I want our kids to experience,” he said.

Aliyah won’t be easy for the Zuller family. Yudi will travel back and forth from Israel to the U.S. almost weekly in order to continue running his business. But, he says, “We want a better life for our kids... the life we feel they should have.

Zuller looks forward to living in a “neighborhood surrounded by fellow Jews... The environment and aura of being surrounded by house after house, [where] whether religious or not, they’re still Jews.”

Taking a walk on a recent Shabbat, Zuller’s son, Binyamin, said, “In a few more weeks we won’t see any cars on Shabbat.” Reflecting on this, Yudi said, “It tells you what Shabbat is and what being in the Jewish State is all about.”

When Zuller hears that it’s a sacrifice to leave his large Staten Island home and moving into a small apartment in Israel, he points to a picture of Gilad Shalit and says, “You want to see a huge sacrifice? Look at Gilad Shalit. That’s a sacrifice.”
None of his friends are surprised about the move. Some are even asking what took him so long.

Yudi and Aviva are proud that their son is starting to make a connection between himself and Gilad Shalit. Pointing to a picture on the wall he said, “That’s big Gilad; I’m little Gilad.”

The economy is playing a part in an aliyah uptick. "We are finding many people accelerating their aliyah plans as a result of the economic recession," said Yael Katsman, a spokesperson for Nefesh B'Nefesh. In the past many people considering a move to Israel might have had longer-term plans, or thoughts of first paying off student loans, but now Katsman says Nefesh B’Nefesh has observed a considerable shift in planning.

"There are currently over 10,000 people in our active pipeline who have reached out and expressed serious interest in moving to Israel in the very near future,” said Katsman.