July 14, 2008 / 11 Tammuz 5768

A group of 50 immigrants from Toronto, Canada departed Monday evening July 7, 2008, to realize their dream of making aliyah to the Land of Israel.

Taking part in the festive farewell ceremony were many family members and friends who came to say goodbye to the immigrants. At the El Al passenger check-in desk at Toronto’s Pearson Airport, tears of joy over the imminent aliyah, mingled with tears of farewell, and tears of pure emotion.

During the ceremony, the immigrants were greeted by Ms. Dinah Kutner, El Al's general manager in Canada, Ari Schuchman, the representative of the Nefesh B'Nefesh organization and Liane Sela, the aliyah emissary who spoke on behalf of the Jewish Agency in Canada.

Amongst this year’s crop of immigrants are: Yael Erez, an Israeli who is enlisting into the army via the Garin Tzabar program; Uri and Michelle Eisner, a young couple who plan to live with their children in Ginot Shomron, near Kfar Saba; and Michal Kaye, who up to a week ago was still the director of the volunteer programs in Israel for the Ministry of Aliyah in Toronto, who now “volunteered” this year to make aliyah to Israel and departs from office staffers, Liane Sela and Veronica Atenly.

An additional group flight of immigrants from Toronto is expected on August 13.

Among those returning to Israel on this week's flight was the family of education emissary, Natan Kandler, who returns to Israel after winding up a four-year mission involving educational work and organization in Toronto, on behalf of the Jewish Agency.  During the ceremony, Yuval Kandler played “Hatikvah”, the Israeli national anthem, on the saxophone, with a rendition that deeply moved the entire airport terminal.