These were the words of Dov Newmark’s mother when he announced his official plan to move to Israel with his young family.

No statement could have been truer. When Dov made aliya from London 15 years ago, accompanied by his wife and children, he was just like a lot of Israel’s newest arrivals.

He was excited to begin this next chapter, building a new life in his new country — a feeling that has not changed since that memorable day.

However, he could not have known back then how much he would shape the lives of countless other olim hadashim (new immigrants), all making that same move over the coming decades.

Dov has helped guide more than 6,000 people on their journey to Israel to live out their Zionist dreams.

Born in east London to a traditional Jewish family and raised in Essex, Dov grew up with strong religious and cultural values.

He was introduced to the Zionist youth movement Bnei Akiva shortly after his barmitzvah, and visited Israel for the first time at 16.

To read more on this story, subscribe to our new e-edition. Go to E-edition.jewishtelegraph.com.

If you have a story or an issue you want us to cover, let us know - in complete confidence - by contacting newsdesk@jewishtelegraph.com, 0161-741 2631 or via Facebook / Twitter