Welcome to the 2004 Nefesh B'Nefesh olim from North America!

As I write this I'm listening to the celebrations at Ben Gurion Airport, where 400 new immigrants just landed. They are streaming this live at www.israelnationalnews.com. It's so cool to be able to sit in my apartment in Jerusalem and listen to this live!

10:30 am They just interviewed a family from Tuscon, Arizona who are moving to Modiin, and a guy from Montreal, and a family from Baltimore who brought with them a Torah Scroll from Baltimore to Kochav Yaakov - the Torah Scroll was originally from Poland and now has arrived in Israel via Canada, New York, and Baltimore.

10:31 am Now, Yishai, the Kumah Guy, is blowing a shofar. They talked to a 12-year-old girl who said that she was nervous but excited about coming. The interviewer said "Soon you'll speak Hebrew faster than your parents" and the girl said "I certainly hope so."

Lots of cheering and talking in the background.

10:33 Little 9-year-old boy from California is saying that he wanted to come. When the interviewer said "in a few years you'll be speaking great Hebrew," he said "yes, Ma'am." [He might improve his Hebrew, but 10 sheks says he won't be saying "yes, Ma'am anymore]

10:34 Can't hear the interview because some guys are singing about Jerusalem in the background, and dancing around the Torah scroll.

Well, I gotta get to work now. But this has been cool. Welcome to all the new folks!