Some dozen soon-to-be new olim (immigrants) spent their last night in the US at baseball game Monday, hosted by New York Yankees President Randy Levine.

The day before they boarded their one-way flight to Israel, on a plane chartered by Nefesh B’Nefesh, Levine treated the youth to a memorable last day in New York City in collaboration with the latter. Levine’s guests are headed to the IDF, and they were joined by their relatives to celebrate their last day in the US with them.

“I think that was these young men and women are doing is something really beautiful. I think they have a lot of courage, it takes a lot of guts to do what they’re doing, and the day before their journey if I can make it a little more fun and get them all together, have them bond a little and just have a good time, then it’s my pleasure,” Levine told The Jerusalem Post, as his team played against the Toronto Blue Jays. “They have an exciting road ahead of them."

Prior to dinner and a view of the game from a VIP suite at the Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, the group went on a private tour of the One World Observatory, from which they could take one spectacular last look at New York City, before becoming Israeli citizens.

“I’m a great believer in Israel. I’m a long-time supporter of Israel,” Levine said.This was the third consecutive year he was holding an event of this kind. “Obviously I’m Jewish and I have deep feelings and the defense of Israel is so important. A strong Israel means a strong US. They are intertwined and these folks are going to be on the front-lines to help defend everybody including me.”

“We feel that the more support they have before they embark on the new chapter, the better. We want them to know they’re appreciated, respected, admired and loved,” his wife Mindy added.

“We see them board that plane and watch them with a lump in our throats knowing that their lives are about to change so dramatically,” she said, noting that the couple stays in touch with many of the soldiers who become an extended part of the “Yankee family.”

To illustrate the friendships they have formed, she motions to the IDF belt buckle she is wearing, which was gifted to her by a lone soldier. “We feel connected in a way that will hopefully allow them to know that should they feel they don’t have anyone else to reach out to they can reach out to us.”

"Of the 233 olim who boarded the El Al Boeing 777 to Israel Tuesday, 75 will become lone IDF soldiers, in partnership with Tzofim-Garin Tzabar, serving after making aliya without their families. Half of those are young women.

“Every single family and individual we bring to Israel who decides to make aliya is such a special thing for us as an organization, but when you see so many brave young men and women from North America sacrifice so much and voluntarily leave their families because they feel a yearning desire to serve in the IDF and defend Israel, that’s powerful,” said Rabbi Yehoshua Fass, Founder and Executive Director of Nefesh B'Nefesh.

The flight Tuesday is being facilitated in cooperation with Israel’s Ministry of Aliyah & Immigrant Absorption, the Jewish Agency for Israel, Keren Kayemeth Le’Israel (KKL), JNF-USA and Tzofim-Garin Tzabar.