Jewish Australians return home to Sydney from conflict zone

Among the hustle and bustle of the Sydney airport this morning there were pockets of silence as traumatised travellers returned from Israel.

Among the hustle and bustle of the Sydney airport this morning there were pockets of silence.

Jewish Australians, returning home from Israel, standing by their luggage, a haunted look in their eye.

People like 18-year-old Idan. The Australian teenager was one of the estimated 10,000 expats living in Israel when the attacks began.

For 12 hours he ran in and out of a bomb shelter, terrified for his life.

“I haven’t experienced that before. I was even scared to go to the bathroom because you don’t know when the next siren will go off, or what’s going to happen. I could hear the bangs from outside,” he said.

Idan at Sydney International airport on Friday, just returned from Israel after fleeing the conflict. Picture: Jeremy Piper

“Living in Sydney my whole life, you don’t get anything like that. So being woken up to something like that … you are confused at the start.

“I thought it would go away in a few hours but it just kept going and going,” he said.

For four days this was Idan’s reality. Ducking in and out of bomb shelters. Hiding inside his home, knowing terrorists were less than 25 minutes from him.

Finally, on Wednesday night it was safe enough to leave. He booked the first flight out of Israel.

The silence on the flight was harrowing.

“Sitting on the plane before lift off was scary because didn’t know if they were going to be able to get us in the air, we weren’t even sure if it was safe to be in the air. It was silent.

“As soon as we got over Israel you could feel the tension lift.”

Alan and Marilyn Jankelowitz at Sydney International airport, and were also on the flight home from Israel fleeing the conflict. Picture: Jeremy Piper

Also on the plane was couple Alan and Marilyn Jankelowitz. The grandparents were holidaying in Israel when tragedy struck.

They speak to us with tears in their eyes.

“We spent four hours in the air raid shelters going in and out. And then in the night it was about three hours in and out. There was a rocket that exploded on my brother’s Kibbutz that made a hole that was probably diameter of six meters.

“When we finally boarded the flight out of Israel everyone had a haunted look in their eyes.”

While they are relived to be in Australia, the feeling is bittersweet. A choked up Alan begins crying.

“I have a heavy heart. My nephew is in the army. My brother and sister-in-laws are in Israel. We could get out. But they can’t go anywhere. That’s their place,” he said.
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Originally published as Jewish Australians return home to Sydney from conflict zone