Sixty years ago, thousands of Yemenite Jews immigrated to Israel as part of a special airlift operation. In the following video IsraelNN speaks with David David who was sixteen years old when he immigrated as part of the operation.
The operation, which was officially called "On the Eagle's Wings" and also known as "The Magic Carpet," is something that David will never forget; especially the moment when he and his friends and family members embarked upon the planes – a moment full of emotions, rejoicing and tears. "The old men, they prayed so much. The faith was so strong, it is amazing. When I saw these men crying from joy, I was a small boy. They did not believe the plane would actually fly but then they remembered the verse - 'and I will carry you upon the wings of eagles and I will bring you to Me.' And they said “here, the verse is coming true. This is an eagle, not a plane."
They remembered the verse - 'I will carry you upon the wings of eagles and I will bring you to Me'
When asked about the historical background to the operation, David emphasizes that while indeed there was increasing harassment in wake of the establishment of the State of Israel, the situation was relatively okay, and the main motive of immigration was the love of the Land of Israel.
The glorious legacy of Yemenite Jewry makes David feel that there is a great responsibility on his friends and himself to make sure the heritage is transferred from generation to generation. "We need to leave a legacy which is social and religious," he says. "In addition; we are people of the land. We did not receive this land as a gift. There were battles here, blood was spilled. When I tell my grandchildren these stories I have to be careful because the legacy I leave has to be genuine, not a bluff. When I tell my grandson to come pray with me on Sabbath Eve, it is not for my enjoyment. I want him to have something of my past.”