James Island family returning home to Israel Friday, awaiting FAA to lift ban

JAMES ISLAND, SC (WCSC) - The Kupchik family has packed up their home after four years in Charleston, their belongings already on the way to Israel.

"It's just time to go back for us."

Maya Kupchik, who grew up in Israel, says she is troubled by the escalation in violence, but she says she and her husband knew all along they would return after he completed his post-doctorate fellowship at MUSC.

"Being a mother here and having kids here and having them grow up without knowing what a missile is, what a bomb is, what a siren is, what a terrorist is, that's a very different experience and to take them back to Israel now is not an easy thing to do."

They are booked to fly Friday into Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion International Airport. She says they have a plan in place if the ban carries into Friday.

"That's really serious. That's a very big move. That's a very big decision, and I thought about how crazy it's going to be at the airport with all those flights being canceled."

While Kupchik is concerned about her family's travel, she says there is much more weighing on her mind.

"My baby brother was actually drafted and he is there with the IDF in Gaza, and that's extremely difficult for us as his family. We're worried every minute, every hour, everyday."