59 IDF volunteers fly to Israel from NYC

Nefesh B’Nefesh charter flight with 232 new immigrants aboard sets out for Tel Aviv

By ToI Staff 18 August 2015, 6:15 am

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Illustrative photo of young American olim who plan to enlist in the IDF as lone soldiers, August 17, 2015. (Nefesh B’Nefesh)

Over 200 new immigrants to Israel, including 59 volunteers to the IDF, jetted out of New York City Monday en route to Tel Aviv’s Ben-Gurion International Airport.

The charter flight was organized by Nefesh B’Nefesh, a nonprofit promoting aliyah (immigration to Israel), and facilitated by the Immigration and Absorption Ministry, the Jewish Agency, Keren Kayemeth Le’Israel, Tzofim Garin Tzabar and JNF-USA.

Among the 232 new arrivals were 29 families with 75 children, the groups said in a statement.

According to government statistics, 4,115 new immigrants arrived in Israel in June 2015, up from 3,775 from the previous July. As of August 1, 17,212 people made aliyah to Israel in 2015, of whom roughly 10% — 1,629 — moved from North America.

The 59 future IDF soldiers will join 850 lone soldiers from the US, and 2,800 from around the world, currently serving in the Israeli military.