Israelis stranded in Cyprus find shelter and kosher meals with help of rabbis and residents

LARNACA, Cyprus (AP) – Yossi Levitan was only making a brief stopover to visit his brother in Cyprus. His travel plans didn’t include slicing mushrooms for kosher meals at a local Jewish community center to help feed thousands of other stranded travelers.

Levitan is one of approximately 6,500 people who are in Cyprus attempting to reach Israel, located about 470 kilometers (292 miles) from the island nation in the Mediterranean Sea.

Initially, 2,400 passengers aboard Israel-bound flights were stranded in Cyprus after their aircraft were abruptly diverted last week to avoid ongoing hostilities between Israel and Iran.

Since then, thousands more have traveled there in hopes of using Cyprus, the nearest European country, as a depot to find a flight or chartered boat that will take them back to their families in Israel.

Levitan, 44, has a flight booked next week and said he is eager to rejoin his eight children and one grandchild in Ramla, 30 kilometers (19 miles) south of Tel Aviv. His eldest daughter, 18, recently gave birth and is looking after her siblings with help from her grandparent.

“We’re waiting for the moment when we can get back,” Levitan said. “In the meantime, we here are helping however we can all the people who are stuck her in Larnaca, in Cyprus.”

Rabbi Arie Zeev Raskin, the Jewish faith’s leader in Cyprus, said the island’s 14 rabbis mobilized from the moment the first 2,400 people arrived aboard at least 10 Israel-bound passenger aircraft that were diverted to Cyprus’ main airport in Larnaca on June 12.

Finding accommodation all at once for so many people at the height of the tourist season was a huge challenge. There also was the issue of providing hundreds of kosher meals, which was handled by the community center, or Chabad, he said.

“Above to this, new flights have started to arrive from Hungary, from Rome, from Georgia, from New York, all people who are on the way ended up here with the hope that since Larnaca and Paphos are the closest nearby neighbor of Israel, once the flights will begin, they will be the first shuttle to go,” Raskin said.

Locals have provided shelter while doctors have treated travelers in need, he said.

Some were desperate to return to Israel right away, Raskin said, including two mothers with kids with special needs. Thankfully, they departed Wednesday aboard a pair of EL AL aircraft that landed at Ben Gurion airport.

“To take people back to Israel, obviously there are priorities. Priorities would be elderly people, single mothers, nurses, people who need medical issues,” he said. “Anyone that is in urgent would get a priority to go on the flight.”

Raskin pulled out all the stops to secure a seat on the same flight for a groom whose wedding was scheduled for Wednesday afternoon. He later got a message that the young man was able to attend the ceremony promptly at 4 p.m.

A few who could afford it and weren’t prone to seasickness rented boats or yachts for the 20-hour trip to Israel. But arranging boat trips has been a fickle affair, Raskin said, as many voyages were cancelled at the last minute.

Raskin has vaulted into the role of coordinator for thousands of Israelis who see Cyprus as a springboard to Israel.

“Why this should be like a gate of a door to Israel?” he said. “It’s like I’m being now at the western wall of Israel.”

But he advised against more people using Cyprus as a stopover to catch a short flight or boat ride to Israel, given the difficulties faced by those who are already there.

“Do not come. We don’t have enough rooms, we don’t enough beds now in Cyprus to accommodate, unfortunately,” Raskin said. “So if someone is in Budapest or in Vienna and you have a place to stay, to eat, stay there, you are safe there, don’t rush to come. Once things will get better, yes, welcome.”