It started firing, and we all felt that our journey was at an end. We thought that in the best case scenario, we would be sent back to Romania. In the worst case we would be killed. But luckily for us, we ran aground in Tel Aviv. The boat was met by a crowd of hundreds of Jews welcoming us. Military officials fired on the refugees running from the boat, and my family barely made it through alive. We were able to run into the crowd and hide amongst the hundreds of Jews legally in Tel Aviv. A very kind family took us in and gave us a place to stay until we found a home, and that is where I am writing from now.
I am extremely grateful to be a part of the lucky few who made it tonight. I know that there will be many more of these boats coming, and I vow that I will do
everything I can to protect my fellow Jews. This war will eventually be won, and I pray that our dream of creating a Jewish state here will come true. Someday, all Jews that need to escape persecution will be welcome here; welcome in the land of Israel.
