Emma Klahr, 19, joined 231 other olim on the July 24 Nefesh B’Nefesh charter flight, prepared to follow her dream of making aliyah. Klahr, from Teaneck and formerly West Orange, has already lived in Israel for most of the last two years, and this week’s move officially cemented her immigration. She credits Bnei Akiva and Camp Moshava for inspiring her aliyah.

In 2016, Klahr attended seminary at the Bnei Akiva-linked Midreshet Torah v’Avodah for her gap year, and since then has mainly returned to the U.S. during the summers in order to teach campers about the importance of Israel.

Klahr is interested in pursuing medicine, but decided that living in Israel was more important than pursuing a medical career in the U.S., even if that meant she couldn’t ultimately become a doctor.

This past year she worked at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital as part of her Israeli national service. Klahr said it was an eye-opening experience for her to meet people from every walk of life, including patients from both sides of the Arab-Israeli conflict and all political and religious backgrounds.

In the fall she will begin a one-year mechina preparatory program at Hebrew University.