From the Liveblog of
Sunday, October 8, 2023
Israelis head home from New York amid worries over war
Renee Ghert-Zand is the health reporter and a feature writer for The Times of Israel.
Israelis wait this morning at the gate at JFK International Airport for an El Al flight to Tel Aviv.
Unlike the usual loud and boisterous setting as passengers await boarding of a flight of the Israeli national carrier, the scene is subdued. Almost everyone is glued to their smartphones for the latest news about the war in Israel, some with tears in their eyes. Some are praying, others sit exhausted, lost in their thoughts.
Eli Ben Ayun, 53, had just finished a family trip to New York over the Sukkot family when the war broke out.
“We felt horrible when we heard the news. We couldn’t believe it. The country is in a mess but it is our country,” he says as he sits next to his wife Orit and daughters Shir and Danielle.
The Times of Israel Community.