Israel at last for Aussie marchers
AUSTRALIA'S March of the Living contingent are bound for Israel after being stranded in Poland for five days.
AUSTRALIA’S March of the Living (MOTL) contingent finally took to the skies on Wednesday (April 21), five days after it was scheduled to arrive in Israel.
Stranded in Poland following the closure of airspace as a result of an ash plume, which was caused by the eruption of Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull, the 95-strong year 11 students and 25 staff missed Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut celebrations in the Holy Land.
“They were very low but spirits are now very high. They just want to be in Israel,” MOTL Australia director Sue Hampel told The AJN as the group were on route to Budapest airport. “It has been a roller-coaster ride.”
While the contingent was tentatively booked on a number of flights -— one on Friday afternoon before Shabbat, another on Monday morning, which was later pushed back to the afternoon -— all were cancelled as Polish airspace remained closed.
Late on Tuesday night Australian time (April 20), a decision was made to move the group via a 10-hour bus trip to Budapest, where a chartered El Al plane would fly them to Israel.
While slightly delayed, the aircraft finally departed at 4.30am local time on Wednesday, and was scheduled to arrive in Israel that same morning.
“They were absolutely exuberant and over the moon that the plane was coming,” Hampel, who did not go on the march, said from Australia on April 23. “We made the right decision because Polish airspace remains closed.”
While all the other MOTL contingents flew out of Poland late last week, the Australian and Turkish groups had their flights cancelled.
However, they awoke to news that airspace over Europe was closed indefinitely due to the ash in the atmosphere.
“They have been beyond exemplary. They accepted the situation and made the most of what they could do,” Anita Baker, whose husband and daughter are on the trip, said. “Sue has been outstanding; if not for her, nothing would have happened. She has been on the phone day and night to Poland, Israel and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.”
Hampel commended the efforts of MOTL International, saying that board member Aharon Tamir remained in Poland with the Australian group, while executive director Yossi Kedem “did everything possible” from Israel, including extending accommodation, food and tours.
She also praised the students, their parents, the madrichim and logistics coordinator Sam Rosenberg who accompanied the contingent.
The group will now spend four “action-packed” days in Israel, before flying home as originally scheduled on Saturday night.
Hampel said she was very proud of the efforts and the ultimate outcome.
“It’s been mad and brilliant,” she said.
While not as they had hoped and expected, the group spent Yom Hazikaron with the Polish-Jewish community and celebrated Yom Ha’atzmaut at a barbecue with members of the Turkish contingent and the local community.
Meanwhile, the travel chaos also forced the Chief Rabbi of Poland to cancel a six-day trip to Australia. Rabbi Michael Schudrich had been due to attend various synagogue, school and charity engagements in both Victoria and New South Wales during his visit, including tonight’s (Thursday) launch of Magen David Adom’s 80th anniversary humanitarian aid appeal in Melbourne. The charity said it was hoping to reschedule the event for later in the year.
DALIA SABLE
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