‘It’s time to go home’: After 57 years in America, a Holocaust survivor comes home to Israel

Morton Pancer, an 86-year-old Holocaust survivor, and his wife, Carole, 82, recently made aliyah to Israel after 57 years in the United States. They arrived on an El Al flight on August 25, officially moving with Nefesh B'Nefesh to be closer to their family, including two daughters who previously made aliyah. Morton, born in Poland in 1939, survived the Holocaust by fleeing to Siberia with his family. He stated, "Aliyah – this is the place for the Jews, our own country that we didn’t have for many centuries." Carole added, "I think every Jew should be here. It’s our own homeland." Their move contributes to a record month for North American aliyah, with over 1,100 immigrants through Nefesh B'Nefesh in August. The Pancers, who built their lives in Maryland, expressed a desire to contribute to Israel and ensure its strength and security, with Morton emphasizing, "What happened in the past should never happen again."