MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — There was relief for Americans living in South Florida finally getting the chance to return home on Monday after being stuck in Israel following the start of the war with Iran.

Daniel Gressel, who lives in Miami’s Coconut Grove neighborhood, was one of many passengers celebrating their return after arriving at Miami International Airport on a flight from Tel Aviv.

“I was supposed to leave last Saturday evening,” Gressel said. “(On) Saturday morning, we got the first alert that rockets were coming in. And for the last week I’ve been in my safe room for about 50 times.”

Jubilantly, he added, “I’m back to America, baby!”

But while Gressel says he’s grateful to be back home, he leaves Israel with mixed emotions.

“My children live there,” he said. “I felt like I would be a sissy if I left them. So, for me, personally, I wanted to stay. It’s an experience.”

Todd Goldberg, of Weston, said he, too, was coming back with “mixed emotions.”

He was in Israel on a brotherhood support mission.

“So the first night that the war started it was probably the only time I had a little bit of fear because honestly, I’ve never stepped into a bomb shelter before,” Goldberg said. “Growing up in South Florida, you don’t go to bomb shelters. We put hurricane shelters up. But being in that shelter, the camaraderie that everybody had, and the TV on and people playing backgammon and supporting each other, just again showed the resilience that the Israelis have.”

While Goldberg said he’s certainly glad to be back, he still would jump at the chance to return to Israel to help with the support work.

While flights between Tel Aviv and Miami are gradually starting to resume, many other flights to the Middle East, including those going to Dubai and Qatar, remained cancelled.

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