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).
Rodolfo and Suzanna O from Sao Paulo
“We are Rodolfo and Suzanna from São Paulo, Brazil. Aliyah for us means a return to our origins. My children made aliyah and now we also have grandchildren, we intend to be close to them.” “We had difficulties with bureaucracy and high and hard expenses to get the...
Rafik and Raisa I from Baku
“Our children would call us and convince us that we should come to them in Israel. At first, we did not dare to leave and then we said, ‘what do we lose if we go?’ You have to leave while you can. How do you know what will happen tomorrow? It is all unknown. So,...
Denise and Marcelo S from Buenos Aires
“We are Denise and Marcelo, along with our son Alex from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Aliyah means finding a better future for our family.” “Recently my daughter entered the Naale study program and went to live in Israel for 3 years. We believe that she will definitely...
Veronika and Aleksandr T from Rostov on Don
“Aliyah is a family reunion for me. My sister already lives in Israel and 18 months ago my daughter left on the NAALE education program. I had to go through a process of DNA testing to check the relationship with my father. He had three daughters from three different...
Sarah W from Sao Paulo
“My name is Sarah, I am from São Paulo, Brazil. I am making aliyah with my daughter Eliane and son Leonardo.” “Aliyah means an opportunity to restore life. I made the decision to make aliyah when I exhausted all my strength to continue believing in Brazil. It's been...
Larisa B from Usole-Sibirskoe
My grandfather, Isaak, died in Ukraine during the Second World War. My grandmother, Maria, was evacu“ated to Irkutsk in 1941 where my father Eduard was born. Dad lived and studied in Usole-Sibirskoe where he married my mother and later my brother and I were added to...
Stories
Gabriel F from Sao Paulo
“My name is Gabriel and I am from São Paulo, Brazil. I decided to make Aliyah, because for me it means being able to reconnect in Israel. Here in Brazil I can't be myself, and in Israel, I can. My hope is to get a job, have a better future within my Jewish land. I...
Boris and Inessa Y from Angarsk
“For us as a family making aliyah is primarily an opportunity to reunite with a brother who already lives in Israel. Secondly, we see opportunities for our three children (Mark, Evgenii and Ivana). And thirdly, the opportunity for us to start a new life. The...
Miriam and Luis G from Salta
“My name is Miriam, I´m from Salta, Argentina. I am making aliyah with my husband Luis and my children, Tomas and Tali. For me – aliyah means realizing myself as a Jew. We want to make Aliyah to reunite the whole family, because we are Jews and we want to continue...
Kirill and Olga B from Omsk
“My parents live in Israel, so along with my wife Olga and son, Ilya, we decided we would go and join them. For me aliyah is something new – I want something better or different. I also see aliyah as the future for my son.” “Once we arrive, we will go to Ulpan. ...
Mark K from Feodosia
“My mom and younger brother have been living in Israel for twenty-five years. And three years ago, my elder daughter also moved there, to study under the NAALE program. By the way, you also helped her in this move. And this year my younger daughter will be traveling...
Dan and Avital S from Marseille
Dan and Avital are making Aliyah with their daughter Avigail. Dan tells their story. “Aliyah for us represents a return to our Holy Land of Israel that God gave us to live in in order to fulfil all the commandments of the Torah. We visited Israel 6 years ago as part...
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...
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...