August 12, 2008 / 11 Av 5768

22 just landed at Ben Gurion Airport, more to follow on second special flight

The Jewish Agency for Israel is bringing 34 new immigrants from embattled Georgia to Israel today (Aug. 12). Twenty two immigrants just landed (7:30 pm Israel, 12:30 pm EST) in the first of two special El Al Flights coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; more olim are expected on the second flight, to arrive in several hours. In addition to the new immigrants, the flight will bring home Israelis stranded in Georgia.

The new immigrants will be absorbed into communities, some joining relatives living in Israel and others at kibbutzim in the north, as part of a Jewish Agency program with the Kibbutz Movement. The Jewish Agency director of Aliyah is at Ben Gurion Airport to welcome the new immigrants and oversee the handling of their immediate needs.

There are more requests by Georgian Jews to immigrate pending at the Jewish Agency office in Tbilisi, which are being dealt with in an expedited fashion in coordination with the Israel Embassy. Among those who have asked to make aliyah are several Jews from the city of Gori, adjacent to the war-torn region of South Ossetia, who were among the 200 Jews evacuated by the Jewish Agency on Saturday (Aug. 9) and are being sheltered by the Jewish community in the capital.

The Jewish Agency in Tbilisi is also working to bring Jewish youth from Georgia to Israel, and to expedite the return of those students currently on summer break in Georgia who are due to return to studies in Israel in the fall.

Leah Papismedov from Gori

(Above) Eli Cohen, Director General of the Aliyah Dept., welcoming the new olim,
(Below) with David Mamisashvili from Tbilisi who came with his parents Vazha and Irina and Brother Nicoloz

Hava Djanashvili from Tbilisi

For more information please contact Jacob Dallal, director of public relations at 212-339-6064 or 646-644-1205 or via e-mail at jacobd@jafi.org.