EL AL FLIGHT 26—Dr. Dov Frankel settled into a seat on this overnight flight headed to Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport from Newark, N.J. He had driven in from Baltimore, where the emergency-room physician had just worked his 12th straight shift to clear his schedule for the next two weeks.
With a last-minute ticket in hand, Frankel was on his way to volunteer at Barzilai Medical Center, a hospital in Ashkelon, Israel, treating people injured following the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization.
“I think my entire life was created for this moment,” said Frankel, 50, who arrived for the recent flight with barely enough time to get through the Israel national carrier El Al’s extensive check-in security process at Newark Liberty International Airport. He first made a pit-stop in Passaic, N.J., to give a blessing and say goodbye to his daughters and grandchildren who live there.
The war has prompted advisories from the State Department, warning people not to travel to Gaza, and to reconsider traveling to Israel and the West Bank “due to terrorism and civil unrest.” But many are still choosing to go, including everyday residents returning home despite the risk, students engaged in religious study and reservists called up by the Israel Defense Forces.... Read More: WSJ