(NewsNation) — Jewish New Yorkers returning to John F. Kennedy Airport this week described a harrowing ordeal as they rushed to escape war-torn Israel.
“It’s just been extremely overwhelming,” said Esther Lapidos.
Esther, and her husband Avi, were traveling with their three young children when the fighting broke out. She did her best to comfort her kids as the family listened to sirens and rockets while scrambling to find a ticket home.
“You have to be careful, you have to be alert, you have to be quick,” she said. “It’s overwhelming, you want to keep your kids healthy and sane, and not traumatize them.”
The family ended up asking a friend, who was armed, to escort them to the airport so they could find a way out of the country.
“When we got to the airport, it was chaos. So many people, babies crying, mothers crying, flights were canceled,” Avi said.
Esther’s two brothers, who live in Israel, have been called up as reservists to fight this unexpected war, adding another layer of worry for the already concerned family.
Getting out of Israel, and getting into the country, remains a challenge for travelers. Many Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) call-ups are in the U.S., but they’re having a hard time getting a ticket.
Now, others are stepping up to help.
According to Avi Mayer, the editor-in-chief of the Jerusalem Post, an Orthodox Jewish man who wished to remain anonymous paid for 250 Israel-bound tickets at JFK this week. Those seats were reportedly for reservists who got called up.
There are also reports of people paying for reservists’ military gear to be shipped over in cargo.
A spokesperson for El Al, Israel’s national airline, told the New York Post there has been an outpouring of support for reservists.
NewsNation is working to confirm these reports.