A new, special terminal for arriving immigrants–a modern, comfortable version of New York’s famed Ellis Island–has been inaugurated at Ben Gurion Airport. The new facility has a large hall, special rest rooms for the aged and areas for children. All processing of newly arrived immigrants will be done within the terminal, obviating the shunting of immigrants from one office to another, long a source of complaints by the newcomers.
The Jewish Agency, the Absorption Ministry and all agencies dealing with housing and initial financial assistance for immigrants will be located under one roof. Absorption Minister Shlomo Rosen and Transport Minister Gad Yaacobi said the new terminal would ease the initial hardships. The first immigrants to be processed in the new terminal are expected from Rumania. The facilities are large enough to handle a full jumbo-jet load, usually more than 300 passengers.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
