Amid efforts to help Ukrainian Jews escape the war with Russia, 50 new immigrants arrived in Israel on Saturday as part of an initiative spearheaded by Dr. Miriam Adelson, who sent her private plane to bring the refugees to the Jewish state to start a new life.
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Some of the new immigrants landed in Israel after experiencing terrible hardships in the first days of the war in Ukraine.
"We are thankful for being saved from the horrible place we were in," one of the new olim (the word for immigrants, in Hebrew) told Israel Hayom. "It's thrilling for us to arrive in the Jewish state. We feel at home here and know things will be good for us here."
Video: Moshe Ben Simhon
Another oleh said, "We're praying for the war in Ukraine to end and for there to be no more victims, and we are grateful we were among the lucky ones to make it to a country that has welcomed us with so much love."
The new immigrants were received at Ben Gurion Airport with treats, Israeli flags, and a warm embrace. After registering with officials from the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, they were driven to hotels in various parts of the country. In the coming days, they are expected to continue with their absorption process, joining those who have already emigrated from Ukraine in recent weeks. As the war rages on, many more olim are likely to follow in their footsteps.
'True Zionism'
Dr. Miriam Adelson, the publisher of Israel Hayom, said at the welcoming ceremony at the airport: "It's an enormous privilege for me to help bring our brothers from Ukraine to the State of Israel, just as Sheldon [Adelson] helped bring Jews from the [former] Soviet Union to Israel. The nation of Israel is one family that upholds the value of mutual guarantee."
Yaakov Hagoel, chairman of the World Zionist Organization and acting chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel, said, "The beating heart of the Jewish people is with Ukrainian Jewry in this difficult hour, together with the efforts of the State of Israel."
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Aliyah and Integration Minister Pnina Tamano-Shata praised the joint efforts of Jews around the world to help their brethren from war-torn Ukraine.
"The massive undertaking of global Jewry to help the community from Ukraine through this terrible ordeal is an inspiration. I was moved upon hearing of Dr. Miriam Adelson's initiative. It proves that the fate of the Jewish people is intertwined, and only through mutual guarantee will we be able to accomplish the national mission of rescuing the Jews of Ukraine," she said.
The Adelson family owns the company that is the primary shareholder in Israel Hayom. Dr. Miriam Adelson is the publisher of Israel Hayom.
