EZRA INTERNATIONAL
Rescue, Return, Restore – Poor Jewish People to Israel
Stories from the Field
Stories of Jewish people we’ve helped make aliyah (emigrate to Israel).
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Nicolás U from Buenos Aires, Argentina
“My name is Nicolás, I´m from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Aliyah means a great opportunity to change my life. I decided to make Aliyah by talking to my sister (who lives in Israel). I am practically alone in Argentina and having the possibility of improving my life with...
Elmira and Nukri I from Tbilisi
“The main reason we are making Aliyah is thanks to my Hebrew roots. The second reason is that we are still young to try something new. It’s not easy now, but it’s a chance to change our life and have a better future for our family. We lack many things in Georgia...
Sofia O from Irkutsk
“I have two sons who already live in Israel so I’m going to be reunited with them. I plan to help them. I have known Ezra International for a long time. We attended concerts organized by them on Jewish holidays. When I decided to make Aliyah, I turned to Ezra and...
Elizabeth and Rafael M from Santa Fe
“My name is Elizabeth. I am married to Rafael and we have 4 children – 3 boys (Ezequiel, Uziel and Ariel) and 1 girl (Shirel). We are from Santa Fé, Argentina.” “Aliyah means living in our country, and having a better future for our children and ourselves. It is...
Reynan S from Sao Paulo
“My name is Reynan, I am from São Paulo, Brazil. Aliyah for me means a new start in life in the Holy Land. I decided to make Aliyah because I am Jewish and I believe that it will be the best option. I am looking for stability, studies and work, even feeling the...
Khamlet and Samira I from Baku
“We consider that making Aliyah is important. If we didn’t think so we would not be leaving here!” “Here it’s difficult with work. I worked as a tour operator in Turkey. After the introduction of quarantine due to the pandemic I had to leave everything and return...
Stories
Eliana A from Sao Paulo
“My name is Eliana, I am a widow from São Paulo, Brazil and I’m making aliyah with my son Leo and his wife Kesia.” “Aliyah means a search for greater spirituality, a change of life for the whole family, with unity, love and hope. I want to live life as a Jew, a...
Vladimir y Tatyana B from Sebastopol
“Twenty years ago, my parents moved to Israel, my dad is already ninety-two years old, and mom is ninety. Two years ago my father had serious heart problems and underwent surgery. Thank God, the operation was successful. My parents are of such an age that it is no...
Viktor and Marina Y from Donetsk
Viktor is making Aliyah with his wife, Marina and son, Dmytro. He tells their story: “My wife and I are from Donetsk and are both doctors by profession. I am a surgeon, and my wife is a rehabilitation therapist. We have two sons – the elder is 24 years old. He...
Aleksandr and KseniyaT from Uzhno Sakhalinsk
Aleksandr is making Aliyah with his wife, Kseniya and two sons – Artem and Daniil. Aleksandr (Sasha) is from Uzhno Sakhalinsk which is the furthest point in Eastern Russia. This is where the sun rises, and it is close to Japan. Aleksandr is Jewish on his father’s...
Stanislav and Elena N from Samara
Stanislav and Elena are making Aliyah along with their son, Matvei. Stanislav has wanted to make Aliyah for some time, but Elena did not want to leave. It took two years of persuasion before she was ready to move! They see the move as a positive influence also for...
Lela and Paata B from Gori, Georgia
Lela is making Aliyah with her husband Paata and two children – daughter Nato and son Nika. Lela tells their story: “I have been waiting for this for a long time and I know that in this strange time worldwide my family is taking the right steps in going to Israel. ...
Evgenii and Elena P from Tiraspol
“Many families who decide to repatriate to Israel are concerned about the question: where to start? One way or another, in order to successfully assimilate into a new environment, it is important to honestly answer yourself a couple of questions: Do I really want to...
David G from Sumgant (Azerbaijan)
“I decided already a long time ago to make Aliyah but, somehow, I couldn’t leave. I am Jewish. My relatives have always told me that I should move to Israel. To be honest I wasn’t drawn to it and therefore somehow didn’t dare to take that step. I married an...
Tatyana T from Sevastopol
“I thought about Israel from time to time, especially when I again felt a negative attitude towards me because of my Jewishness. I don’t have big problems due to anti-Semitism but sometimes I feel a very strong desire to be in a society where I can feel 100% at ease...
Tinatin and Tengiz P from Tbilisi
Tinatin made Aliyah along with her husband Tengiz and daughter Liza. “All I know about Israel is from my Mom and it became a little dream that my family and I could become a part of that country. We have a small child and as we are young and able to work hard, we...
Benjamin Z from Buenos Aires
My name is Bejamin and I was born in Buenos Aires in 1958. I am a descendant of a family of settlers from Russia who arrived in Moises Ville in 1898 with the great migration to the lands of Baron Hirsch. From that colony almost everyone migrated to Rosario and later...
Bruno C from Porto Alegre
My name is Bruno, I am from Porto Alegre, Brazil. Aliyah for me means to ascend spiritually and also personal evolution. I aim to do become a Rabbi. The difficulties in making aliyah are leaving family, friends and memories, but I have had problems with anti-Semitism...
Gvantsa and Salome M from Tbilisi
Gvantsa and Salome are sisters making Aliyah together. Gvantsa tells their story: “Israel is our dream country and our roots are there. Not only our ancestors are from Israel, but our parents live there, and we want to be close to them. So, while we are young, we...
Boris (Baruch) and Natalya M from Odessa
Boris – known as Baruch – and Natalya made Aliyah with their six children – sons Menachem, Efraim, and Shmuel and daughters Rivka, Ester, and Bat Sheva. The couple is well known in the Jewish community in Odessa where Baruch is head of the local synagogue and a...
Youth Aliyah
Patricia Z, Lea S, Ester Carla, and Leonardo M from Rio de Janeiro. These four young people gained authorization from the Jewish Agency to make their aliyah in June 2020. They have been waiting to leave since February when they already received the green light from...
Alena and Evgenii M from Khabarovsk
Alena and Evgenii came from Khabarovsk in the Russian Far East. They were making Aliyah along with their son, Alexei. They are a very interesting, strong family from a village background. Nevertheless, they chose repatriation to Israel. Khabarovsk used to be the...
Yosif Sh from Odessa
While Yosif’s wife was alive they didn’t think about repatriation. They lived very modestly and had enough from their pensions. But after her death Yosif decided to make his Aliyah. Yosif is 75 and his sister who lives in Israel has invited him to come live with her....
Leonardo and Sheila W from Rio de Janeiro
Leonardo and Sheila made Aliyah along with their daughters Priscila and Caroline. It is Priscila who shares her story: “My name is Priscila and I am from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I’m making Aliyah with my parents and also my sister, Caroline. Aliyah for me means a...
Oleg G from Krvoi Rog
“I live only with my grandmother in Krivoi Rog. I do not have parents. I don’t see any prospects for myself here, so I decided to repatriate. I have many friends who have left for various programs in Israel. In 2018 I visited Israel on the Taglit program. I...