Assistance in Living...

ABOVE AND BEYOND

Enjoy friends from the
old neighborhood and
make new friends at the
Fleischman Residence/
Blumberg Plaza

The Herdman family at JFK Airport in New York City as they get ready to
make aliyah to Israel with Nefesh B'Nefesh

A New Home

Three Michigan families make aliyah.

N

• Personal Care Assistance

• Medication Administration
• Health Clinic

• Safe, Secure Environment
• Complete Kosher Meal Service

• Respite Rooms

• Laundry,
Housekeeping and

Transportation
• Beauty/Barber Shop
• Nosh Nook/

Gift Shop

Recreational, Educational, Cultural & Spiritual Programs
Daily, Shabbat and Holiday Services in our Chapel

Fleischman Residence/
Blumberg Plaza

6710 West Maple Road, West Bloomfield

Eugene and Marcia Applebaum Jewish Community Campus

For more information, contact:

Staci Fealk, LMSW, Administrator

248-661-1836 www.jsimi.org Qla

tfl

a residence of

Supported by

The Jewish Federation

OF METROPOLITAN DETROIT

JEWISH SENIOR LIFE

34 August 8 • 2013

JN

efesh B'Nefesh's first-ever
"Children's Aliyah Flight"
took off July 22 for Israel
with 231 North American ()him (new
immigrants) — 41 families and a
record number of 106 children (56
girls, 50 boys). The families were
accompanied by Gilad Shalit, former
captive Israeli soldier.
"The fact that thousands of people
chose to leave their homes and start
a new life in Israel is not something I
take for granted; Shalit said minutes
before departing from JFK airport in
New York City "I wish them success in
their integration and this new begin-
ning:'
"The children's flight fills us with
great optimism:" said Erez Halfon,
deputy chairman of the organiza-
tion dedicated to revitalizing aliyah
from North America by removing or
minimizing the financial, professional,
logistical and social obstacles. "These
children are the future of the State of
Israel, and they cause us great excite-
ment in making aliyah."
Halfon added, "Gilad Shalit is a
loved personality among the Jewish
community in the U.S., and we are
happy that he joined our flight in
order to promote aliyah to Israel."
Among the dim making aliyah
were three families from the Mitten
State: Moshe and Chava Docks, both
44, from Oak Park, along with their
children Sarah, 7, Shlomo, 12, and
Jacob, 20, who are moving to Ma'aleh
Audmim; Ray Herdman, 41, and his
wife, Pam, 40, of Oak Park, with their
children Isabella, 3, Hannah, 8, and
Caleb, 10, to Ariel; and Alex Nisanov,
44, and his wife, Leah, 37, from Grand
Rapids, along with their children,
Yishai, 4, Neomi, 6, Eliyahu, 9, Rena,
14, Hodaya, 15, and Sarah, 17, to
Nahariyya.
"We love Israel; said Moshe and

Chava Docks. "This is the place God
has given us and we hope in making
aliyah that people will see how easy it
is and will follow us, and we'll be there
with open arms to help them along,
just as other olim did for us:'
Pam Herdman said, "The time for
parades, rallies and talking is over;
we must act and act now The State
of Israel is handing out citizenship,
money, health benefits on a silver plat-
ter and I, along with my family, will
not ignore this. We must go and take
what Israel is offering.
"We are not going because of these
things, but they sure will help in mak-
ing the transition a lot easier. What
more can we ask for? I choose Israel; I
choose the people and the land to live
out the rest of my days:'
Nearly 1,000 children from the
United States and Canada are expected
to make aliyah to Israel in 2013 with
Nefesh B'Nefesh. This is an increase
of 20 percent compared to 2012, when
822 children made aliyah.
The flight was facilitated in coop-
eration with Israel's Ministry of
Immigrant Absorption, the Jewish
Agency for Israel and Keren Kayemeth
Lelsrael (Jewish National Fund).
Nefesh B'Nefesh is celebrating its
11th anniversary this summer, mark-
ing more than a decade since its inau-
gural charter aliyah flight in 2002.
As we welcome our 35,000th oleh,
it is exciting to see so many children
amongst the Zionistic modern-day
pioneers who are helping to build and
secure the future of the State of Israel;
said co-founder and chairman of
Nefesh B'Nefesh, Tony Gelbart.
"This new generation is joining
young adults volunteering for the IDF
and olim moving to Israel's north and
south to help strengthen the periphery,
to infuse the country with renewed
passion and idealism:' ❑