Exclusive | With airports in Israel closed, Jewish New Yorkers are desperate to find ways in

Despite a current US State Department advisory against travel to Israel “due to armed conflict, terrorism and civil unrest” and closed airspace, some determined New Yorkers want to be in the Holy Land to show their solidarity with and support for the Jewish state.“I feel guilty that I’m not there with my brothers and sisters being subjected to these missiles,” said Todd Richman, a Long Islander whose flight to Israel was canceled last Thursday as news broke of Israel’s preemptive strike on Iranian nuclear sites.

“I feel guilty.It’s hard to explain.”Since airports are shuttered, the 55-year-old, who works in finance, said he’s looked into alternate means to get into the Jewish state, including a ship, to no avail.

The minute flights open up, Richman declared, “I’m there.” The married dad-of-three added, “It’s hard to explain how you can want to be in a war zone right now, but there’s something you feel in your heart.”With friends and family running into bomb shelters every night amidst a barrage of ballistic missiles launched from Iran, there’s a sense of powerlessness.“I’m watching it through their eyes and I wish I was there with them,” he said.

“There’s something unique about the Jewish ruach (spirit) about being together during such a situation.”With 24 Israelis killed and hundreds injured in the days-long Iranian missile barrage, people are determined to stay resilient and strong in the face of evil. “They’re having bar mitzvahs in the shelters, singing in the shelters, celebrating life in the shelters,” Richman said, adding, “I still feel safe there.In some ways you feel safer being in Israel with ballistic missiles landing than you do in most other parts of the world.”Chava Blivaiss, a 36-year-old trauma surgeon, feels similarly. “People think I’m crazy, [but] I just feel the need to be there,” she told The Post.

The Long Islander is on standby with a fully packed bag, passport and medical...