Ebenezer Operation Exodus New Zealand

On 23rd May 1991 a specially chartered wide-body passenger jet left an undisclosed East European runway. On board were Jewish Russian refugees, smuggled through the Belarus borders into freedom, but now stranded without money, home or help.

Three such flights took place that month, bringing 720 refugees to Israel - but this one was special: on board was a young married couple whose journey to Israel was sponsored by gifts from New Zealand.