A Baltimore, MD couple married 71 years is believed to be the oldest couple to immigrate to Israel.

Phillip and Dorothy Grossman, 95 and 93 respectively, arrived in Israel this week on a Nefesh B'Nefesh group flight in cooperation with the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption and the Jewish Agency.

Funds raised by The Birmingham Jewish Federation help support the work of the Jewish Agency, including the agency's efforts and programs to help Jews immigrate to Israel. Forty-three other immigrants were on this particular flight.

The photo here is of the Grossmans on their flight to Israel. The Grossmans were met at the airport by some of their grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren living in Israel.

"Phillip and Dorothy are probably the oldest couple that the State of Israel has ever absorbed, and they are proof that it is never too late to fulfill your dream and make such a significant decision in life," said Erez Halfon, vice chairman of Nefesh B'Nefesh.

(Moving to Israel is referred to as "making Aliyah," the latter being a Hebrew word that means ascension.)

Above is from Jewish Telegraphic Agency, a worldwide Jewish news service and one of 32 agencies and programs funded by The BJF Annual Campaign.

The Birmingham Jewish Federation always welcomes the opportunity for our community to hear firsthand about the important work of the agencies our campaign dollars support, especially agencies whose work greatly impacts the safety and security of the Israeli people.

Operation Lifeshield (OLS) is one of those agencies and on Wednesday, Feb. 29 at 7:30 am, The BJF's Israel-World Jewry Bureau will host a breakfast briefing with Rabbi Shmuel Bowman, Executive Director of OLS.

OLS was founded in 2006 by a small group of people who, while visiting the Galilee region of Northern Israel during the Second Lebanon War, found themselves among thousands of residents in immediate danger of Hezbollah rocket fire with no place to seek shelter.

As a result of the experience they started Operation Lifeshield. Since 2006, the organization has provided over 80 air raid shelters and emergency equipment to help the people living in Israel's most vulnerable regions -- Israeli citizens who face physical and psychological danger from Hamas and Hezbollah missile attacks.

Rabbi Bowman is pictured here delivering one of two new shelters to the Keren Ohr Youth Center in Sderot, a city in southern Israel that has been targeted for years. These particular shelters have a capacity of up to 12 people. However, Rabbi Bowman recently reported that last December "21 people crammed into one of these shelters at the public tennis courts in Ashkelon when Grad rockets exploded nearby."

OLS shelters conform to strict guidelines and require the approval of the Israel Defense Forces' Home Front Command, and are constructed in Israel by a leading manufacturer of steel-reinforced concrete products.

OLS provides two types of shelters to protect schools, synagogues, parks, sidewalks, bus stops and senior centers. OLS shelters have been donated by individuals and organizations from around the world, including Jewish and Christian groups.

Funds allocated through The BJF's Israel-World Jewry Bureau allocations process also help purchase shelters. Allocations team member Mary Adams proposed OLS for BJF funding in 2010 and continues to serve as Birmingham's liaison to OLS. Mary, who arranged Rabbi Bowman's upcoming visit, is a great friend of Israel and one of our many BJF Christian donors.

The breakfast briefing will take place in the board room of the Levite Jewish Community Center and is open to the community. We invite everyone to learn more about OLS and the impact that our BJF dollars have on the life-saving work this organization does in Israel. To RSVP contact Donna Berry at The BJF at donnab@bjf.org or 879-0416.

Educating the public about Israel and its difficulties and dilemmas continues to be a top priority of The BJF. Thus, we thank Mary for arranging radio appearances for Rabbi Bowman. At 6:15 am on Feb. 29 he will be interviewed on The Rick and Bubba Show (95.5 FM) and at 11 am on the Lee Davis Show (101.1 FM).