Photo Essay: 204 New Immigrants Answer Call to 'Come Home'

More than 200 new Israelis arrived home Tuesday, including two who became engaged with the blessing of the entire crowd at Ben Gurion Airport.

By Hana Levi Julian

First Publish: 9/8/2009, 4:42 PM / Last Update: 9/8/2009, 10:09 PM

More than 200 new Israelis -- 204, to be exact -- arrived home on Tuesday at Ben Gurion International Airport to the cheers of friends, family, and young IDF soldiers waving blue and white Israeli flags.

Gil Margulis makes Aliyah

The Land is Very Very Good

Yoseph Rabin - his brother Ben-Tzion made Aliyah today

Awesome Jew

America to Israel

The final planeload of 16 Nefesh B'Nefesh aliyah flights this year capped a season in which 3,000 new Western olim, or immigrants, made aliyah to Israel with the organization.

Lots of New Olim

Aliyah for Me

Fishman Family

Fishman Family Reunites

Grandparents Return

Mom bringing the family home

Kadima Opposition leader MK Tzipi Livni told the smiling crowd, which included 81 singles, that she herself was already married -- but not to worry, because "matchmaking is Israel's national hobby!"

Get Engaged On the Stage

Two young singles immediately took the plunge and became engaged right there on stage during the welcoming ceremony in Terminal One. Nechama Dina Simon and Zack Taylor thus became the first couple from this batch of NBN "graduates" to prepare to build a home together in the Land of Israel.

Nechama Dina Simon (Made Aliyah Today) and Zack Taylor (Aliyah 2007)

A six year old child was willing to explain to Israel National Radio's Yishai Fleisher why she and her family had chosen to come home to Israel, and what her future plans were.