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).
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...
Gabriel P from Cordoba
“My name is Gabriel, I´m from Córdoba, Argentina. Aliyah for me means being able to "go back" to my roots, my origins and reconnect with who I truly am. I made the decision to make aliyah being aware that my professional experience is in Tourism and Theater, both of...
Evgenii U from Brovary
“Israel, for me, is a country of opportunities and I see my future only there! I am 23 years and have a higher technical education. I tried to study well in school, and I think I have already achieved a lot. It is difficult to get a job in my speciality as a design...
Eder and Karen S from Sao Paulo
“My name is Eder Maciel, I am from São Paulo, Brazil. I am making aliyah with my wife, Karen and son, Jonathan. We made the decision to make aliyah to provide a better quality of life for our family, because aliyah, for me, means this: better quality of life, new...
Ioram and Marcela from Sao Paulo
“My name is Ioram. My wife, Marcela, and I are from São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil. Aliyah means being able to have the possibility of living in the state that we have felt throughout our life to be our country. It means living a Jewish life, giving Jewish...
Yuri and Yulia B from Novosibirsk
“For my wife, Yulia, and I aliyah means a return to the historical homeland of our ancestors. I have always been interested in Israel for its unusual (in comparison with other states) history, education, and laws. Yulia and I met at a party given by mutual friends –...
Stories
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...
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...