Ups and downs of aliya

07/12/2012 12:08 By YOCHEVED MIRIAM RUSSO

For the 420 passengers, July 10, 2002, represented a personal milestone, but for the country the day was historic.

Photo by: courtesy mike stocker

The sound of the shofar did it. Like everyone else, I clapped and cheered when our special El Al Nefesh B’Nefesh plane landed.

I contained myself nicely while waiting to disembark. I stepped for the first time – ever – onto Israeli soil with nary a tear. But then I lost it. A guy standing just inside the welcoming gate blew the shofar over and over, and that did it. By the time I reached the “welcome” hangar I was crying so hard two of the young welcome staff ran over to ask if I was okay. “I’m better than okay,” I told them.

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Ups and downs of aliya

For the 420 passengers, July 10, 2002, represented a personal milestone, but for the country the day was historic.

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