Project Rescue

I want to live in Israel” – it has been my strong desire and dream! I am happy that my dream has now come true!   I lived in Kharkiv; I liked my city. I grew up there, and studied there. I got a law degree, planned to build a career, and thought about starting my own family. But the war intervened in my plans!  As soon as the capture of our city began, Russian troops with tanks and Grads (rocket launchers) appeared on the streets, and planes began to fly in the sky dropping missiles on us. I left Kharkiv. I managed to go to Germany, and lived there as a refugee. A year passed in a European country, and then another year and I felt that this was not my place at all! I increasingly began to remember a short trip to Israel, which left such a pleasant mark on my heart. I went to Israel on a tour under the Taglit program from the Jewish Agency. Although I had enough of everything: enough money for living, I was in a safe place, I made friends, but my heart refused to live in Europe. Suddenly a real desire to go to Israel and a dream appeared - to live there!   My father is staying in Ukraine and he doesn’t want to go anywhere yet, and I’m worried about him. But I hope that he will join me in Israel soon! Finally, I went to the consulate to get the right to live in Israel. To my surprise, I received a list of missing documents needed to get a visa. Of course, I was very upset because I could not come to Ukraine to get everything I needed. But, to my great happiness, I was advised to go to Ezra! I did so, and Ezra made sure that I could bring the consul everything I needed and get a visa as a potential citizen of Israel!  I plan to focus all my efforts on learning Hebrew! I want to confirm my diploma and work in my specialty. I am thinking about creating a family.  Ezra helped me get the necessary documents from the archives, and this was very important for me! Simply invaluable help! They also helped me get a police clearance certificate and sent it to Germany, where I lived. Without this, I would not have been able to pass the consular check either!  I am grateful for your work! It is simply priceless! You help make the dream of Jews who want to live in their own country come true! Thank you for your work! **Bridges for Peace partners with Ezra, providing financial support for the processes that open the doors for Jewish immigrants to “make Aliyah” – to come home to Israel. Upon arrival, BFP works to connect with the new Olim (Aliyah immigrants) to bless them gifts that help to settle into their new Israel home.

Moving to Israel has become an important step in my life. I am returning to my roots, going to my true homeland! Part of my family has been living in Israel for a long time. My dad is from a family of pure-blooded Jews. My great-grandmother's family was also pure-blooded and religious, apparently, the genes made themselves known and I wanted to go to Israel. After all, it would have been possible to choose any European country at the very beginning of the war, but I wanted to go to Israel! When I finally matured and decided to repatriate to Israel, I encountered difficulties when passing the consular check. It was necessary to add more documents about the Jewishness of my ancestors. But I did not have them, and I did not know where to get them. This upset me greatly and at some point, it seemed to me that nothing would work out. And I really wanted to leave Kharkiv, because it became simply unbearable to endure all the horrors of the war! I began to look for help, contacted various Jewish organizations, but no one could help me with this problem. In the Jewish Agency, they advised me to contact Ezra. And only because I listened to this advice, I was able to get everything I needed and get a visa! Initially I will live with my sister's family, they are really looking forward to seeing me. The whole time I was going through the consular check, they were very worried about me. I plan to learn Hebrew, and confirm my diploma. I want to work, live a full life, and achieve success! This help was simply priceless! I turned to Ezra when I had already lost hope that I would be able to find what I needed, but they breathed faith into me again and did not let me despair. I was referred to specialists who got archival records from neighboring countries. They paid for the costs of finding these documents! It was a miracle for me! All this time I was accompanied, supported with great care and attention!  I was given financial assistance, thanks to which I was able to pay for a police clearance certificate and a certificate of marital status.  When I was already traveling to Moldova to fly to Israel, I was worried that there would be difficulties crossing the border. I have a residence permit in Ukraine, but not citizenship, and my passport is that of a Russian citizen.    Despite the fact that I have been living in Ukraine for a long time, studied, worked here, but, nevertheless, I was afraid that they would not let me out of the country. I know that Ezra prayed for me so that everything would go well. And thank God, I crossed the border safely!  I feel very sorry for the people, the children who remain in Ukraine and they have to survive here in these terrible conditions! I am ashamed of Russia - this is the country where I was born and raised, but what is happening now, I cannot accept! I am very grateful to you that my repatriation took place! It is all thanks to you! I admire your care, warmth, attention, and kindness! Thank you for all the help you provided, both material and moral! I managed only thanks to you!

My whole family is already in Israel and I am going there with great joy to live close to my relatives! My daughter and granddaughter were the first to leave for Israel. This was long before a full-scale war in Ukraine. They settled in very well there, they like everything and are happy. Then my mother expressed a desire to repatriate to Israel, so she got ready very quickly and left. She has been living there for 5 years now. And my wife and I were planning the move, but could not leave everything here.  Later, I regretted that I did not decide to repatriate to Israel earlier, since so much grief awaited us ahead! Firstly, the war began, and I was not allowed to travel abroad due to my age. And then my wife began to feel unwell and we learned that she was very ill. The doctors said that she had an oncological disease - cirrhosis of the liver.  As soon as we learned about this diagnosis, we decided to immediately send her to Israel alone, and I remained in Ukraine. I have health problems and after the stress and nervous tension I experienced, my health also worsened. I passed the medical examination and received an exemption from military service due to disability. This process took me half a year, but now I can join my family! My mother and daughter and granddaughter live happily in Israel and are proud to be citizens of this country. My wife is also happy now. During these six months, while we were apart, she has already settled in there, received the necessary medical care and feels much better. Of course, she is still on the road to recovery, but she is alive, and that is the main thing! Also, my wife has calmed down from the constant stress she was under after the start of the full-scale war! So I want to forget everything that happened to me during these 3 years of war, like a bad dream! I plan to find a job and live a full life! I also want to receive quality medical care. We received a lot of help and support from Ezra. First of all, you took care of my wife when she urgently needed to leave! You carried her to the place where there was hope for saving her life! Ezra supported me morally and didn’t let me give up! They provided me with financial assistance, helped me get a police clearance certificate, and took me to a consular check. Ezra covered these expenses, and I am so grateful for that. After all, due to my health, I couldn’t work, so I needed the money so much! Only thanks to you I was able to go through this entire process! Many thanks for taking me to Vinnitsa and helping with my luggage, because I can’t lift more than 5 kilograms. Ezra took full care of me! From Vinnitsa I went to Moldova and Israel. It's so amazing that there are people who take part in the lives of others who need it! You have no idea how much you do! Without your help and support, it would have been much harder for me to go where I need to be! Thank you for everything you've done for me and my family!

Svitlana and Yuri K. Our children have been living in Israel for over 5 years, but my husband and I did not want to leave yet. But when the war in Ukraine dragged on and things got really bad here, we finally decided to leave everything and join our children. We were quite sure that we would pass the consular check without any problems, but when we came to the consulate, we were very upset because we received a large list of documents that the consul demanded to bring. Of course, our hands dropped, because we did not know where to look for all this! At some point, we even decided that Israel needs young people, and we are no longer promising, so they do not want to take us. Somewhere in our souls there was a breakdown, but praise God, our friends advised us to contact Ezra! After speaking with the Ezra representative, we perked up again and realized that there is hope! And this is not a refusal, but just a temporary difficulty. They helped us find the documents that the consul demanded and accompanied us on the way to Israel until the flight! Ezra also prayed for us and God performed a miracle! My husband is still of draft age, but he has a disability. Because of it, my husband should have been removed from military registration. But the Recruitment Center refused to do this, so he could not leave the country. For us, this was an insoluble situation, but after our need was put to the prayer list and they began to pray for it, the incredible miracle happened! When my husband again applied for removal from registration, he was released from service without any problems! Finally, we will be close to our children again! We plan to learn the language and work. I worked in a kindergarten with children for 20 years, I want to continue working there in this direction. The help from Ezra was simply priceless! Firstly, Ezra representatives supported us morally in everything and did not allow us to give up in the face of difficulties! They found documents for us, paid for police clearance certificates, provided financial assistance. They transported us to a consular check and delivered us to Vinnitsa before we were taken on to Kishinev and flying to Israel.

We were alone in Ukraine because our entire family lives in Israel. We decided to join them because of the war in Ukraine. My wife and I lived a quiet life in Zaporozhye. Our relatives and children left for Israel long ago, but we didn’t want to. Our friends and community are here. We have a small but well-equipped apartment. We visited our children and that was enough for us. We weren’t going to change anything in our lives. The war in Ukraine invaded our measured and familiar life and changed everything! At the very beginning of the war, we thought that it would end quickly, we would endure a little, and everything would return to how it was. Unfortunately, almost 3 years have passed, and we no longer have any illusions! The situation in our city is getting worse – shelling has become more frequent, destruction, loss of life and power outages. Prices are rising terribly, so it is simply impossible to live on our pension. We are under moral pressure, we are very nervous, and because of this we often get sick. Of course, in the end we could not stand such living conditions and decided to go to the children. By and large, Israel is our native land! My wife and I are both Jews! Of course, it is very difficult to leave, but the situation has changed dramatically and living here has become simply unbearable. Our children and grandchildren have been waiting for us for a long time, not as for guests, but as for permanent residence. Now we have definitely decided to join them. We really want to calm down and improve our health. We understand that we will need to adapt to new conditions, but we are already ready for this. We knew for sure that we needed to contact Ezra when we decided to repatriate. All because Ezra had previously helped almost all of our relatives leave! And they took care of us! They helped with consultations before the consular check, provided financial assistance, helped to get and pay for the necessary certificates. We were taken to Vinnitsa when we were already registered for the consular check. My husband and I are the last ones from our family to leave. There is no one else left here. Because of this, we had a lot of luggage. Ezra took such good care of us, helped us with our bags and drove us comfortably to Vinnitsa. From there, we went to Kishinev in Moldova for the flight to Israel. There is only great gratitude in our hearts for the honor bestowed upon us and our entire family! The fact that Bridges for Peace and Ezra helps Jews is very valuable and necessary for us. Firstly, it inspires and supports confidence that we need to go to our land. Thank you for your care, for the finances that were spent on our departure. It is incredible that you donate your money in order to serve Jews! Thank you for everything!

In 2022, when the war came, I, my wife, her mother and grandmother left for Western Ukraine. I was called up and taken to the front, and my wife, Nika, went to Poland with her mother and grandmother. My wife and family repatriated from Poland to Israel, and I was at the front. I was injured and was treated for a long time. It took a lot of time to pass a medical examination in order to be commissioned out of the army. The greatest help was provided at the stage when my wife and her family tried to pass a consular check in Poland. There were not enough documents, and you helped to collect everything necessary. Some documents had to be taken from the archives, and you helped us get one from Russia! That was just an incredible miracle! Thanks to this, I was able to join the family in Israel! I am infinitely grateful that you exist! Thanks to you, now we, a family, three generations, can live in Israel! If you hadn't taken the necessary documents for us, we wouldn't have left! Thank you for the financial support! You are incredible! We will remember and pray for you!

Israel is the country for Jews. My daughter’s future is in this country. The time has come for us to return home. When I was at the consulate before the war, I was told that there were not enough documents to open a visa, that more evidence of my Jewish roots was needed. Therefore, despite my desire to go to Israel, I put this question off, because I did not want to look for the documents. But then the war began, and our Kharkiv was under fire, and my family was in danger. Praise the Almighty, we met you on our way, and you helped us find what was missing. This process, including trips to consular checks, took my family almost three years. Now we are going to the country of our dreams! We were given consultations in the process of collecting documents, and some of them were obtained for us. You paid for travel to consular checks and provided financial assistance. We were supported morally during this entire period of searching for documents, and this made life easier in military Kharkiv. Our hope did not fade. You also helped us get to Vinnitsa before the flight, and from there we went to Moldova and Israel. May the Almighty send you much joy, good health, happiness and His shalom! You have done so much good for my family, and I wish you good in your life! Thank you so much for your help!

I am a pure-blooded Jew, and I am going to my historical homeland. I have long known that I would be there, but there were reasons to keep me from repatriation. Now there are no more reasons, and I am going there with ease! Our son with our daughter-in-law and granddaughter were the first to leave for Israel. They did it a long time ago and live there happily. My wife and I were also planning to move, but at first her mother fell ill, and we had to look after her, and later my mother fell ill as well. We took care of my mother until the very end. Because of these difficulties, our repatriation was constantly postponed. But we buried my mother recently and now we can go to the children with a clear conscience. We expect a better life there. We want to spend our old age in better conditions and without all these shocks! Ezra helped and supported us a lot. They helped with consultations, with police clearance certificates, provided financial assistance, and also took us from Dnipro to Vinnitsa with luggage and a cat. From there we went to Moldova, and then to Israel. Immeasurable gratitude to you! I did not expect that there are people who are capable of treating us, Jews, so warmly! You supported us morally, materially, and physically! Everything was at the highest level! I myself even became kinder and wanted to help others!

My grandfather had Jewish roots. The difficult situation in the country, persecution, World War II, and exile forced him to keep it a secret. This topic was forbidden in our family for many years. Ten years ago we found out about it. We started looking for documents to confirm it. That's when we first heard about Ezra, an organization that helps people find documents to prove their Jewish descent. They helped us a lot. Almost all of our relatives have left Ukraine and live in Israel.    We thought about it too but did not dare to make that decision. Russia's attack on Ukraine forced us to act.  We decided to go to Israel because the situation was life threatening and difficult. We filled out questionnaires for each family member and made an appointment for a consular check.  Now we just want to feel safe, we want to give our children better opportunities.     When we got to the inspection, it turned out that the documents were not enough to move, so they turned to EZRA for help again. The situation was complicated by the fact that the archives were damaged as a result of the hostilities and there was no access to them. EZRA helped us to obtain documents from the Red Cross and extracts on our grandfather. We are very grateful to the Ezra Foundation for such a very valuable assistance. We also received financial assistance, which was also very necessary and timely for us. At the next meeting with the consul, we received a visa.      The meeting was held quickly with explosions and sirens. There was no time to think over everything and get everything ready. We left Kharkiv on an evacuation bus of the Wings of Faith Foundation of Yitzhak Halfon. They have buses for bedridden people, and it was convenient for us and the children, because the trip was long - more than 10 hours. Already at Ben Gurion airport we felt safe, and there was hope for the future for the children, which had been taken away by the war.     We passed on Ezra's contacts to several other repatriates who also needed help in finding archival documents.   Once again, THANK YOU for your practical, fast, free of charge assistance to us for our aliyah

I had been working in the tourist business as a tour guide for a long time. Before having children, I worked with the Jewish Agency. They have a Taglit program for young people who want to go on an excursion to Israel. The purpose of this program is to introduce the country to the Jewish youth, so that they have the desire to move there.  We formed a group of young guys. I accompanied them to Israel and organized tours for them there. It was a wonderful time! Even though I showed historical places with great enthusiasm, talked about the culture, customs, and life of my people, I myself was not ready for repatriation at that moment. My husband did not want to leave Ukraine, but I did not insist, I expected something.  In 2018, our son Matvey was born, and I went on maternity leave to raise my son. And when he was three months old, I found out that I was pregnant again. David was born in 2019! My husband and I were immensely happy, but not the best times began for our family because of the outbreak of Covid-19 and all the restrictions associated with it!  It was difficult for us physically, financially, and morally, but we didn't think about repatriation right up to the moment when the war started! It finally exhausted our strength and set the final point for making a decision! We realized that it is necessary to save the children, their future and give the future to the next generations! When the enemy's attack on Kyiv began, my husband took us to Western Ukraine. We stayed in Chernivtsi until the moment when our region was liberated. Then we returned home and began to adapt to the new living conditions. But such conditions are absolutely not suitable for children! Every time rockets or drones are flying towards Kyiv, I go down with my children to the basement of a multi-story building - this is our refuge. This happens in the middle of the day and at night! The worst thing is when there is danger at night - I wake up the boys while the siren sounds, and dress them. They cry, because they want to sleep in their warm beds, and not sit in a smelly basement! I take the prepared things and my husband, and I descend into this not quite equipped shelter. Children are sleepy, capricious, we don't know how much time we will have to spend there! We really want to sleep, but we can't afford to relax for the sake of the boys! We try to be calm, balanced, entertain the children with good stories, and carry their favorite toys with us! At a certain moment, my husband and I realized that we do not have the right to condemn our children to all the suffering that they are forced to go through due to the fact that we cannot decide to leave where our real family is! After all, I really feel at home in Israel! My boys must live there, grow, learn, rejoice, develop, and be calm and free!  Thus, we began to work on the opportunity of my husband to cross the border and leave Ukraine. Fortunately, he managed to do it, and he left for Poland. I gathered all the necessary documents for the consular check and went to Moldova with my children. My husband joined us, and we went through the consular check together. I’ve realized that Israel is my country and the country of my children, as well as all our future generations! My husband and I must give our descendants a future!  And now we are in Israel, and we are happy! It is difficult to part with my parents as well as with the parents of my husband. We are thoroughly studying Hebrew. Both my husband and I have already been offered a job, so we will work hard. Children will go to school and kindergarten. We will live a full life. I know that at the first stage we will have to overcome certain difficulties, but we can do it! We got a lot of consultations from Ezra. This is the only place where we received complete information about how the repatriation process is happening now! Ezra helped us financially and helped us get a police clearance certificate. And it was a miracle with the certificate! Due to air alerts and power outages, the processing of this certificate was delayed, and we as a whole family were already registered for a consular check in Moldova. All logistics had already been coordinated by Ezra's employees, but there were no certificates! And it is impossible to pass the consular check without them! Then there was so much worry and anxiety. Ezra team worried about us and prayed for our situation! And the incredible happened! After all, the documents were made the day before my departure to Moldova with my children, and nothing was canceled! We saw how sincerely Ezra's team cares about us!   We were also helped with transport to Vinnitsa, and given the contacts of organizations providing aid in Israel. You are amazing people with big, loving, kind hearts. It seemed to me that your hearts can contain the whole world and cover it with their care and warmth! I am immensely glad that it was you who met on the path of my family, because with you we were able to make an exodus to our motherland, feeling support and understanding at every stage of this path! Thank you very much!  

Our adult son lives in Israel. He repatriated from Georgia, having lived and studied there for some time.  My son is very delighted with Israel! He quickly adapted to the new environment, he feels comfortable and at ease in the country. He told us a lot about his travels around Israel, showing us these beautiful, historical places. He talked about his work, about his friends, the people who surround him, about the culture and customs of the country! My wife and I were imbued with the atmosphere of Israel even though we had never been there before! And subsequently we developed a strong desire to move to live in Israel!  We want to live in Israel! There was a desire to live exactly there! There is an understanding that only in Israel my family can be happy!  When my wife and I went to see the consul in anticipation of visas being opened for us, it turned out that the documents that allowed our son to leave were not enough! The consul demanded additional proof of my Jewishness! We left the consulate after the reception very upset. We didn’t know what to do next and called the Jewish Agency.  They advised us to turn to Ezra for help. Thus, we found those who became our helpers and saviors! Thanks to Ezra, we were able to collect everything we needed, get visas and safely repatriate to Israel!  Finally, we will see our son! We want to be close to him, we want to plunge into the atmosphere of Israel, build our new life there. We want to learn the language, work, and enjoy every day of life! And we are also glad that we will live in a city where there is a sea - this is a cherished dream that is coming true! The only thing is our friends and relatives remaining here. They must survive in this difficult time for Ukraine.  We couldn't have done it without Ezra! After the consular check, we were in a panic with the thought that we would not be able to find the necessary documents and bring them to the consul, and, therefore, we would never get to Israel. But in Ezra, they reassured us and said that everything can be done! They told us where to go and helped us get documents from the archives. Also, they provided a lot of advice, paid for travel for consular checks, provided financial assistance, and helped us get police clearance certificates with an apostille!  Thank you for existing, for giving people hope and the opportunity to find a future! Thanks to your help, we were able to fulfill our dreams, and they were not dashed by the harsh realities of life! You have become help, inspiration, encouragement, and hope for my family! Thank you for the moral and material support of my family on the path of repatriation to Israel!

It is very difficult to live in war, not knowing what is next for you in this country. I want to live in security, to have a future! I am 24 years old, single, lived in Kiev and worked as a kindergarten teacher. I lived on my own, apart from my parents, with my cats. Only cats always understand me, they are attentive listeners and I feel that they pity and sympathize when I am in pain and fear. I have been especially scared since full-scale war broke out. Everything around me has changed, all hopes for the future have collapsed, it has become very difficult to live on. So, I decided to make a change!  It took me almost seven months to get my documents ready for the consular check. I had to make requests to archives, and ask my relatives for documents.  It was difficult and time-consuming, but I still managed to gather the necessary documents! During this time, I experienced events when Russian troops tried to seize Kyiv, then they were kicked out of the territory, and we breathed a sigh of relief. Then we were bombed, trying to destroy the infrastructure. We sat without electricity, sometimes without heat in winter. It is very difficult to work with children in such difficult conditions. Sometimes we did not go out to work at all, as there was no permission because of the danger. And when we are in kindergarten, if the air-raid alarm is sounded, the children have to be collected and taken to the shelter.  Whether they are sleeping, eating or walking. The enemy can strike at any time. Our children don't deserve to live in all this! Their childhood is simply being stolen from them!  I have a younger brother, and both he and my father can't go abroad because they are of conscription age. My mother cannot leave her boys and she decided to stay with them in Ukraine. I, on the other hand, am glad to be the first one to get out of here.  It is hard to part with family members, knowing the conditions under which they have to survive. I am going with my cats to a new country, to a new life.  I have no relatives or friends there, but there is hope. I don't fully know what awaits me there, but I know that my future is in Israel!    I plan to learn the language. I want to work with children. I want to meet my love and start a family. I want to live a happy life.  Ezra gave me a lot of advice when I was collecting documents for the consular check. They helped me to get the documents from the archives. I was also taken to Vinnitsa and then on to Moldova for consular verification.  Their help, both financial and moral, is very valuable and important to me! They gave me hope, inspired and supported me! Thank you very much from the bottom of my heart!   

  For many years I dreamed of moving to Israel. My grandmother told me a lot about how she wanted to be in Israel, but she couldn’t because of different family circumstances. Her mother and father were old, she had to take care of them, and then she got older herself and didn’t manage to leave. I am making the aliyah (immigration to Israel)—this is the fulfillment of the wishes of three generations: Grandmother, mother and me. It is very important for our family to fulfill the unfulfilled wishes of my relatives. A lot has happened in Ukraine and in my family. First, the main factor is war. Kharkiv is one of the very dangerous cities, where shelling, killings and destruction occur almost every day. Although, leaving for Israel, we understand that there is also a war there and we will have to start everything from scratch. Second, another factor is our desire to fulfill the wishes of my relatives. Third, one more factor is my desire to start life in the country of Israel, to which I belong, and to do something useful for Israel. Finally, the last factor is my son, Mark, who is studying to become a programmer. He wants to devote his life to Israel. We know that it won’t be easy, and we don’t have rose-tinted glasses. We understand that we will face difficulties, but we go forward with hope for the best. It is very hard to leave behind our friends and especially my mother-in-law and of course we have a lot of memories from childhood and our lives in Ukraine. Ezra helped us a lot. We could not find the documents about the birth of our grandmother. We spent a lot of time on this matter, one might say years, but thanks to Ezra, we found my grandmother’s birth certificate in two weeks. We arrived home in Kharkiv, loaded our suitcases, backpacks and brought them to Vinnitsa. We felt comfort, warmth, and a good atmosphere in the bus during our travel. Thank you very much for your organization. If it wasn’t for your help, we don’t know when we would be able to pay to search for the records and documents that made it possible for us to come to Israel. 

My wife and I are from Kharkiv. We have lived in this city all our lives. We’ve raised two sons and have wonderful grandchildren. The eldest son lives in Israel with his family, and the youngest son lives in Ukraine with his family. When the war started, my wife and I fled from Kharkiv because explosions were thundering around. The city was paralyzed. People were in a state of complete stress and horror. We all couldn’t believe what was happening. We managed to leave Kharkiv on an evacuation train to Poland, where we lived for several months. When the Kyiv region was liberated, we came to Boryspil to visit our youngest son. We were no longer able to return home to Kharkiv, as friends told us that the house where we lived was also destroyed as a result of rocket attacks on the city. My wife and I did not want to live in Poland, but decided to move to Israel to live with our eldest son. To pass the consular check we needed to take the outstanding documents. While in Boryspil, we collected everything we needed and are ready to go to our new home in our new homeland. Now we are quite elderly. I am 76 years old and my wife is a year younger than me. We are pensioners and can no longer work, but soon we will be a great-grandfather and great-grandmother and we will help with our great-grandchildren! We also want to receive good medical care. I've known Ezra International for a long time. First, our youngest son, who left first, received help. Ezra also provided us with consultations, gave us finance for international passports and delivered us with our luggage to Vinnitsa, from there we went to Moldova for consular check. It’s hard to part with our youngest son and grandchildren. Now he also wants to go to Israel but cannot leave Ukraine due to his conscription age. That’s why his family remains in Ukraine for now. My wife and I are worried about them. We are very grateful for all the good things you have done for us and for the help you have provided! We are grateful for the moral and financial support. It was very important and necessary for me and my wife and for our children! Thank you very much for everything!

I am Jewish and have three children. I divorced my first wife, as we were unable to come to an understanding of each other and build a harmonious relationship. At the time my wife and I divorced, our youngest son was still very small. Not much time passed until I met Nadiya and married her. This is my second marriage. I always got along very well with my children. They love me and I love them. I supported my ex-wife and children financially. I took care of them and communicated with them very often. When the big war began in Ukraine. I managed to send my ex-wife and children to Israel. They live there and their relatives help them. I really missed the children. It’s hard to think that they’re growing up there without me, that they’re becoming adults and forgetting about me. My new wife supports me in everything, and she suggested we find out if I have the right to leave the country. I am a father of many children, and because of that, it turned out that I can leave. I successfully proved that I supported my children financially, so my wife and I have passed consular checks in Kyiv and are flying to Israel. I look forward to meeting my wonderful children with great joy! I am a programmer by profession and already have a job offer. My wife also plans to find a job. We will learn Hebrew to become more successful there. I will be close to the children, support them, see them and spend time with them. My wife and I would like to have a child too  I got consultations for documents and for all issues of passing consular checks from Ezra. We were taken to Vinnitsa with luggage. From Vinnitsa, we went to Kishinev, from there we flew to Israel.  We felt a very friendly, kind and caring attitude towards us. We were supported and encouraged. We needed help with transportation and we got it! Thank you very much for your work.

  I am 86 years old. I was born and raised in Russia, in Ural. I studied at the institute there and after graduating, I worked in the Kherson region in Ukraine, in the city of Tsyuryupinsk, now Oleshki. This is where I met my husband. We both worked at a paper mill. We got married and had three children.   Years passed and the children grew up. Two of them repatriated to Israel, but the youngest daughter and her family stayed in Kherson. Then my husband died, and I lived alone in Oleshki.  The full-scale invasion of Russian troops into Ukraine was a real shock for all of us. I couldn't believe that reality! Our region was very quickly occupied. Russian troops entered our city. Military terror and looting began. I wasn’t afraid for my life because I’m already too old. I was alone in my house, and I forced my daughter and her family to go abroad. They managed to leave Kherson despite the shelling. I refused to leave with them despite all my children trying to persuade me because I wanted to be where my husband was buried.   I didn’t know then that the hardest time was yet to come! There was a flood due to the blowing up of the Kakhovka dam by Russian troops. The water rose rapidly, and volunteers took me by boat to a safe place. My house, all the things in it, my husband’s grave and everything that I was so attached to was underwater!  But I was alive! Others were not. It is difficult to convey the horror of everything that was happening!   Everything that was dear to me remained there. Memories, my whole life, the house that my husband and I built with our own hands and where our children grew up. I lost everything in a moment! It's very hard.   As a result, I ended up in Kyiv with my friends. I could hardly move as my legs had stopped obeying me. In order to leave for Israel, I needed help. The youngest daughter came to accompany and help me get to Israel. I am going to my children who have been very worried about me all this time. Because of my stubbornness, I did not go earlier, causing them a lot of trouble. But now I had to leave everything in the past and go to my new home. The children want to take care of me, and I am grateful to them for that.   Ezra helped me with consultations. They provided me with financial assistance and advice, and gave me contacts of organizations helping in Israel. Before flying to Israel, my daughter and I were taken to Vinnitsa, from where we went to Kishinev and then to Israel. Many thanks and deep gratitude for your support and help. I was broken mentally and physically after the stress I experienced, and you gave me a helping hand in difficult times when I needed it so much! Thank you very much!

This year, I will turn 80 years old. I am the widow of a Jew. When my husband was alive, we did not think about repatriating to Israel, which I now greatly regret. For the first time in our family, my granddaughter spoke about moving to Israel. Now she is an adult and married. But before the start of a full-scale war, life went on as usual—measuredly and confidently—so no one was collecting documents for repatriation. Everyone had no time to waste on things that were not a priority. Everything changed when there was a full-scale enemy invasion and they started bombing us!  Me, my daughter and my granddaughter took our things and documents and left for Poland by evacuation train. The husbands of my daughter and granddaughter remained in Kyiv because they did not have the right to cross the border. While in Poland, we decided to undergo consular checks for repatriation to Israel, because there we firmly came to the realization that we wanted to live in Israel! My granddaughter wanted this most of all, because Israel is an old dream for her! Unfortunately, the consul said that there were not enough documents about my husband’s Jewishness and more were needed to be found. This was a disappointment for us.  This unpleasant news was followed by disaster. We received news from Ukraine that my daughter’s husband had died, and she had to leave urgently to bury him. But while in Kyiv, my daughter was able to get some documents. She met Ezra International's employees, who helped her. After going through the consular check again, my girls received visas, but I did not. The consul refused me. He also demanded proof that after my husband’s death I was no longer in a relationship with anyone, which could only be done at home. Thus, I had to return to Kyiv, while my daughter and granddaughter flew to Israel. After returning home, I felt a strong deterioration in my health. This happened due to severe stress and because I again found myself in an atmosphere of war. Before that, I couldn’t see well, but now I’m almost blind. And the worst thing is that the oncological disease, which was in remission, has worsened. Therefore, even after receiving the documents the consul needed, I would no longer be able to cope with the journey on my own. My granddaughter came to pick me up from Israel, helped me get ready and accompanied me all the way home. My daughter and granddaughter have been living in Israel for a month, and they are very happy that they chose this country! If it’s good for them, it will be good for me to be next to them. I want to calm down after everything I’ve been through. I want to get medical help. I want to live out my old age peacefully and calmly. I still dream of seeing my great-grandchildren. We received a lot of advice and moral support. Ezra helped us get documents from Kazakhstan and paid for it. Ezra also provided assistance for collecting documents on the spot. My granddaughter and I were taken to Vinnitsa, and from there we went to Moldova and Israel. Help is always valuable when it is provided on time. You supported us in such a timely manner! Without your participation and care, both my family and I would not be able to leave for Israel! Thank you so much for all the effort you put into us! We appreciate, thank and love you!

We are running from the war. We want life to get better again and there is hope, because we are tired of living in disappointment! My wife and I are from eastern Ukraine. In 2014, we fled the war from Donetsk to Dnipro, together with our son Simon. For several years, we managed to live in peace, but now our whole life turned upside down again when the war broke out throughout Ukraine. It is difficult to put into words all this horror that we have to go through with our son! Where to run to next? What to do?   Fortunately, there was a way out for my family: my wife is Jewish. We only needed to find evidence of her nationality, because her ancestors carefully hid this fact. But even here, fate was merciful to us. Our friends advised us to contact Ezra, where they helped us find all the necessary documents!  Also, I managed to settle all the issues in the military registration and enlistment office, and I received confirmation that I can go abroad. We were all happy that we were going to Israel and looked forward to the day when we would leave Ukraine.  And now, the long-awaited day has come. A minibus came to us, all our luggage was loaded and we comfortably drove from Dnipro to Vinnitsa. The next day, we went to cross the border to Moldova. My family was in for an unpleasant surprise! Due to the summit, which was supposed to take place in Moldova, the border was closed for a while and we were not let through.  At that moment, a very unpleasant thought arose: what if my family had to stay there? With all our hearts and souls, we were already in Israel with our dreams and plans... Our son was especially upset! We hoped that it was just a delay. The charitable foundation in partnership with Ezra provided us with temporary accommodation, where we stayed for a little over a week. Then again, the driver from Ezra took us to Vinnitsa. Everything went well the second time! We went through customs, then passed the consular check and flew to Israel. Therefore, our dreams and plans are working out! My son dreams of studying in a school in Israel. He wants to get a higher education here. I will work; my wife too. We want to live in peace and happiness! Ezra advised us a lot on how to collect the necessary documents, and helped financially. We were taken to Vinnitsa from Dnipro, and then again from Kyiv to Vinnitsa. It’s just a miracle that my family met with such care, kindness and understanding. For us, your support is a great inspiration, encouragement and mercy. And the financial assistance is so necessary! Thank you!

I want to give a future to my son, Matvei. I dream of a better life for myself and for my family! For me, moving to Israel is a chance for a new life, a different future. I also take care of my mother and stepfather. They are both disabled, so I take care of them the best I can. When full-scale war came to our country, life became completely unbearable. Our city was surrounded and constantly under fire. I was afraid for my son, for my parents and for my life. As soon as the opportunity arose, I began to collect documents for a consular check for repatriation to Israel. My mother is Jewish, and I was sure that everything would be quick and easy. Unfortunately, it did not work out quickly and everything turned out to be quite difficult! And then I was advised to contact you for help. I greatly regretted that I did not know about you before! If I had found you earlier, I would have avoided such problems! You told me where to get the necessary documents, and provided all the necessary assistance. Without you, we would not have been able to leave at all! We were consulted on the documents, you provided financial assistance to take the necessary things for the consul from the registry office and helped us to translate my parent’s documents into Hebrew. I just don’t have enough words to express my gratitude and appreciation! I know for sure that without your moral and financial help, my son and I would not have been able to leave for Israel. As it turned out, in our case, desire is not enough. We needed finances, time and patience to pass these tests! You supported, helped and gave hope.

I have always wanted to go to Israel. In 2002, I even had a permanent residency visa opened, but circumstances were not in my favor at the time. My granddaughter and daughter have visited this beautiful country several times, but it just so happens that I will only be able to go to Israel now and not under the best of circumstances. It's simple, I'm leaving because of the war. Kharkiv is a city on the border with Russia, the situation is extremely difficult and dangerous, and I held on as long as I could, but now I don't have the strength anymore. I took an evacuation bus to Kishinev, where I was placed in a hotel with food and a great attitude. But my first visit to the Israeli consulate overshadowed my expectation of a quick departure. I needed additional documents. I am flying to Israel, the country of my dreams, where I will work, teach children the beautiful things - music, vocals, give all my experience and strength, look for stars who will glorify their homeland. And my daughter and granddaughter are sure to come to Israel soon.  I am worried about them staying in Ukraine for now. When I needed a missing document, I went to Ezra for help and they sent me the necessary document within one day. I was very surprised that it could be done so quickly and completely free of charge. Thank you very much. A big thank you for your work, here in the hotel in Kishinev, I have spoken to many people you have helped and these are amazing stories.

I am going to Israel to study.  This is my old and cherished dream! I dreamt of going to Israel to study in a teenage program when I was 14 but my parents didn’t want to let me go there at that age.  Now I am 18 and I can realize my dream.  My parents are still worried about how I can cope without their help, but I firmly believe that I can.  Israel is where my place is!!  My parents are not yet ready to make aliyah and that’s a little sad – I will miss them.  I think that over time they will change their minds! I studied at a private, specialized school in Zhitomir for gifted children. They predicted a great future for me.  I could have entered the best University in Ukraine, but I did not want to.  I am grateful that I come from a Jewish family and have the right to make aliyah. My dream is to become an inventor.  I want to explore the world.  I am fascinated by new achievements in science. I love to study computer technology and studying in Israel is a chance to reach new levels of knowledge! I don’t know yet what scientific field I will work in but over time I will choose a direction. First, I want to master Hebrew then go to university. Ezra helped me with advice when I was gathering documents for the consular check, and they paid for my passport and necessary certificates. On departure day they brought me to the airport.  Their help was extremely necessary and important to me. Thanks to Ezra I can make my dreams come true and the future has become real for me! Thank you very much from my heart!

My husband and I have lived all our lives in the village of Ratnoye. Our village is small. My husband had to go to work in the city, and it is far away. We have to take care of our daughter, Irina. Now she has grown up and also went to work in the city and helped me in the vegetable garden and household chores. That’s how we lived all the time, trying to adapt to the circumstances.  Then the unexpected happened. My husband’s health deteriorated. He began to feel bad and could not work as before. We started going to doctors, getting treatment and endless examinations. We realized that we could no longer live as before and began to look for a way out of the situation. Fortunately, we have the right to repatriate to Israel, so we decided to collect documents to go there. We received visas for permanent residence in Israel just before the war started and began to plan our departure. It was impossible to just leave the farm (all my animals). We had to take care of them. We started to deal with this issue, and then, suddenly, we received the terrible news that a full-scale war had begun. The area where we live was not so shelled. Many people were fleeing here from the cities where there was fighting, and we took refugees at our place. Then my husband began to deal with the registration of disability in order to have the right to travel abroad. It had to be done correctly, which took quite a lot of time. But now all these difficulties and worries are behind us because we are ready to go to a new life. We really want to give a future to our daughter, to live in stability and in safety. And now she will be able to learn, develop, see the world, and I am sure that Irina will be happy! I am used to working hard and long hours, so I will be happy to work there. My husband needs a good medical examination and treatment, and we are sure that Israel will help him. He also wants to work to the best of his ability. My daughter will be studying. We really want her to have new friends and hobbies. We needed to get to Poland because the flight was from Warsaw, but we had never traveled abroad before, and we had luggage that took up a lot of space. From our village, we had to go to Kovel, and from there take a train to Warsaw. All of this was too expensive and difficult for our family. Fortunately, at the Jewish Agency we were advised to contact Ezra, and they helped us. They paid for a car to take us to Kovel, paid for train tickets, and arranged with representatives in Warsaw to meet us at the train station and take us to a hotel.      We were so surprised by the warm attitude. Such caring involvement in our lives! We are very grateful and appreciative for worrying about us and helping us to fly to Israel! Thank you!

We have been dreaming of living in Israel for a long time.  It took us a long time to collect the documents to prove our Jewishness. Now we are miraculously able to go to Israel and hope that the country will accept us and that we will be able to get the help we need and go on living a peaceful, free, fulfilling life! My husband and I made the decision to repatriate a long time ago. It so happened that it took a long time for me to collect the necessary documents to pass the consular check. And on the eve of the war, my husband and I received visas for permanent residency in Israel, but we did not leave the country in time.  The borders were closed, my husband had no right to cross the border, and I didn't want to leave without him. So, we stayed in Kyiv, not knowing what to do next. It is difficult to describe the horror we had to endure while here. The city was under fire, sirens, explosions, and terrible news that the enemy was on the approach to Kyiv. During the first days some enemy groups managed to break into Kyiv and there was fighting in the streets of the city. We sat in the underground most of the day, escaping the shelling. Shops, pharmacies, and all institutions were closed. We survived on food supplies. The fact that people cared about each other was very supportive. Some shopkeepers distributed food, businessmen brought household goods that they had sold before the war and gave them to those in need. After a while it was very difficult to find bread, fruit and dairy products. I was very afraid of getting sick, as pharmacies were also closed and there was no medicine. It seemed that this horror would never end!   But a miracle happened! Our troops drove the invaders out of our area! At first Kiev was lifeless. There were still barricades and roadblocks in the streets, and many streets and bridges were blocked. There were very few people left in the city, as many managed to leave. But as time passed, our city began to come back to life.  People began to return, shops, pharmacies, banks, post offices and other institutions started working again. By the summer, life had almost returned to normal. The exceptions were the prices of everything had risen sharply and the sound of sirens that reminded us of the constant threat to life. For my husband and I this whole period was particularly difficult as we had lost our jobs. I am an interior designer by profession and my husband is head of the flat repair team. With the outbreak of war people stopped doing repairs, and we lost our jobs and our livelihood. We didn't know what to do next. Fortunately, an accident that happened to my husband helped us. Five months ago, he felt pain in his back and had to go to hospital. An examination revealed that he needed an operation. Thus, due to the illness, he received a disability and an exemption from service. We are now urgently traveling to Israel, where we will be able to receive specialist care. First of all, once in Israel, we want my husband to be completely healthy! We are planning to learn the language, and I want to work in a profession. My husband also wants to continue working in the construction industry after he recovers. We really hope that everything will go well for us! We had to fly to Israel from Poland, but it was not financially possible to get there. Ezra paid for our tickets to Poland, took us to the station and helped us with our luggage. It was a real miracle for us! We are heartily grateful that you took part in our trip to Israel. Your financial support was truly a miracle for us! Thank you so much!    

Israel is now a new homeland for my family. I want to live there safely, without all the turmoil and worry. I made the decision to repatriate when the war started, and bombs started exploding in Kyiv. Then I quickly remembered that I was Jewish, put my wife and daughter on the evacuation train, sent them to Poland, where they underwent consular inspection and left for Israel. I stayed in Kyiv, as I was not yet 60 years old at the time. Only last week I celebrated my anniversary on my own, without my family, but I have the full right to cross the border.  We have lived all our lives in Kiev. My wife and I did not have children for a long time, that is why our daughter is a long-awaited child, she is 20 now. Before the war we didn't think about leaving Ukraine, because there were no relatives in Israel, not even friends. My daughter was studying at university here, my wife and I had a job, our life was monotonous. And then suddenly everything was upside down! This war broke everything we were used to, it was a huge shock!  My family has been in Israel for almost 10 months now. The interesting thing is that during this time they have already settled in, found a job and adapted. Now they no longer want to go back to Ukraine, even if the war is over.  I am very glad I can join my family and that I can leave here! On 15 December there was a massive rocket attack on Kyiv, our area was badly damaged, we had no light, heating, or water for three days. When the electricity was cut off, mobile phone and internet services were lost. Then the situation started to improve thanks to the services that repaired it all - water and heating came back and sometimes the lights started to come back on as well. On the night of December 18-19, the Russians attacked the city again, this time with drones, and there was great destruction. Kyiv’s left bank was again left without electricity, water, heating, mobile phone service and internet. We were again three days without light, being in complete darkness in the evenings, deprived of all communication. It was very hard to bear mentally!  I am very grateful to the Almighty that I can leave here and that my wife and daughter left for Israel in time, that they were safe from the start of the war and did not have to go through all these horrors with me. We are starting a new life. At my age it is difficult, but possible. I want to find a good job. I want my daughter to get married, I want to look after my grandchildren, to live a normal, peaceful life in a civilized country. I know that in Israel, too, there are many aggressive neighbors, but the country's policy is such that for the state, people's lives and safety come first. That is what attracted us to Israel in the first place! My family was helped by Ezra, receiving their advice. In the turmoil of the outbreak of war, no one really knew what to do in order to get to the consul. We were given advice and counseling on what documents were needed. They also helped give me other advice. I was taken to Vinnitsa, and from there I went to see the consul.  It happened that I had to leave when we had no electricity or any kind of communication, but my driver and Ezra's counselors managed to find me in Kyiv. They did not leave me behind and took care of me, even though they were in the same difficult situation. Thanks to this I arrived on time for my consular inspection. I want to express my deepest gratitude and my appreciation for your support! In a world where evil is rampant, you are like a ray of hope that good is still stronger and will conquer this darkness!  Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

It is important for me to be with my family, to take care of my wife and children, as it was in normal times before the war. I want to live a normal life and for my family to be happy and protected and safe! An incredible story happened in our family. It was some kind of miracle that made it possible for us all to go to Israel. And there are many of us, because our family has many children: me, my wife, and six children. When I was young, I used to check my ancestry, because I knew that there were Jews in my lineage. I was interested in this question because I wanted to go to Israel. After researching my family tree, it turned out that there were Jews, but I was already the fourth generation, and they would not give me permission to leave. After that, I calmed down and stopped thinking about Israel, as it was difficult to get there, even with a work visa.   As time went on, my wife and I grew a family, with more and more children. We were surviving, adapting, and I was working two jobs. The eldest daughter grew up, got married, and all the other children still had to be provided for. To be honest, it wasn't easy. On top of that, we found out that my wife was ill - she had the early stages of Parkinson's disease, and it was very discouraging. Our medicine is powerless, unfortunately.  But then, one day, we got some good news from an acquaintance in Russia. It turned out that my wife's father was a thoroughbred Jew! This was discovered after his death, when the woman got hold of my father's papers. It came as a total surprise for my wife, as her father and her mother were divorced, and she did not know much about his life. This news came to us just before the war.  Then the next miracle was that we managed to get documents for her father from Russia during the war. Then we were able to find the missing documents in the archives and get permission from the consul to repatriate to Israel! Miracles do happen! My long-standing idea to repatriate to Israel came true in such an incredible way! I'm used to working hard, so it won't be difficult for me. I want to work in construction, I have experience in that. My wife is booked in for a check-up and medical care will be provided to her free of charge, for which I am grateful to fate! We will be starting from scratch, but now there is a prospect for my family! My wife and four younger children left a month ago, and I am going now with my eldest son, Tikhon. My eldest daughter and her husband are also coming with us. Now my whole family will be gathered together in Israel!   Nothing now holds us back for sure! Just before we left, we experienced another massive attack from the enemy. There is an infrastructure facility in our village and a missile hit there again. There was a huge explosion, electricity, water, communications and the internet were all gone again. How good it is that we can get away from it all! We were helped by Ezra both morally and financially. We were advised in the collection of documents before the consular check, they made requests to the archives for us, we were financially assisted. We were also taken to Vinnitsa and then to Moldova for consular verification. On behalf of my family and myself, I would like to thank you for all your help. For being part of the effort to save my family!

I am making aliyah (immigrating to Israel) along with my children – Maria and Mark.  Before the war our whole family had been planning to leave for Israel but since the war started it is no longer possible for my husband to leave with us.   My teenaged children are 4th generation (Law of Return says there must be one Jewish grandparent) and the rules for permanent residency in Israel for them are limited to 17 years old. We collected the documents with Ezra's help and passed the consulate check. My husband and I got our visas but the children had to get a permit in Kiev, such are the rules for the 4th generation. We made an appointment but didn't make it in time. The COVID pandemic started and consuls were only accepting online appointments. We made the appointment again, went and waited for an answer. Then, because of the political situation, the consulate moved out of Ukraine. Our response was delayed.  And then the war started. We thought, like everyone else, that it would end quickly. But the shelling of Kharkiv started, day and night. They bombed EVERYTHING, including residential areas. It was soo scary! The evacuation began. We didn't know where or to go or how to go. Ezra helped us out again; they told us where to go and how to evacuate. We evacuated as a family.  We hoped that we would be able to go to Israel with our whole family; that a miracle would happen; that the law would change, and that those who had visas before the war would be released (although men from 18 to 60 years of age were not allowed to go).  We stayed in the middle of the country until October 2022. We had to make a decision. My husband said that he would return to Kharkiv, and we had booked a flight to Tel-Aviv. This decision was not easy for us. The children didn't want to go without their father.  All these months we talked to the children and prepared them for different fate options.  The children just want the war to end and for their dad to come to Israel too. We are very grateful to Ezra and all those who helped us in all the evacuation and repatriation processes. We could not have imagined that everyone in Ukraine would be so united and able to help the refugees and us in repatriation in such an organized way.  Many thanks to all of you.

Natalya T from Konotop I am now 52 years old and have three children.  The eldest son is an adult and is already married.  The younger children—twins—are 17 years old.  They (Pavel and Anna) are traveling with me to Israel.  My husband is at war; he is on the front line.  It is my husband who is insisting I make aliyah with the twins now.  If we do not go now, then in a month’s time our younger son will turn eighteen and will no longer be able to leave.  It was difficult for me to take this step because my eldest son and daughter-in-law are here and my husband is risking his life every day fighting the enemy.  All this is very difficult but my husband is very worried about me and the younger children and so he asks us to leave for Israel.   Despite the fact that my heart remains with my husband, my mind agrees with him completely.  We need to be the first to go, get settled in a new place and, when the war ends, the rest of the family can join us and we will be together again.  I really hope this horror ends soon. At the moment our Sumy region is being shelled constantly.  We sat without electricity for almost the whole day.  Children can’t study normally.  Of course, I am in solidarity with my husband—we need to think about the children’s future. Thankfully we have many relatives and friends in Israel who want to help us there.  I want to find a good job and the twins will study. Ezra helped us with consultation but also financially.  We were also taken to Moldova to undergo the consular check and leave from there for Israel.  Please accept my gratitude and sincere blessings from the bottom of my heart.  You have shown us great mercy and understanding.   Thank you for everything.  

I am a widow with grown up children.  My daughter lives in Poland with her husband and children and my younger son lives in Israel and is now serving in the army.    I have lived in Kyiv all my life and have gotten used to this city. I didn’t want to move anywhere.    But now I’m scared to live here and I want to live in a country where I feel comfortable, calm and safe. When the war started there was a terrible panic, especially when Kyiv was almost surrounded and being bombed. My children were worried about me all the time. I was also terribly afraid.  I had to sit in the subway for days as it was dangerous to be at home.  I then decided to go to my daughter in Poland. I quickly packed my things, got to the railway station where there was a huge crowd of people. All of them, like me, were trying to leave for Poland on the evacuation train.  I had to wait for almost a day to get on the train.  It was only when I was in Poland that I realized that I had left my birth certificate and all other documents at home.  I’d only taken my passport with me. I stayed with my daughter in Poland for two weeks when I came to realize that I didn’t want to be there.  I love my family very much but the country they live in is completely alien to me.  I just couldn’t get used to it.  So, I decided to go to Israel. My son will be very happy if I come to him and can support him morally and physically.    When I decided to go through my consular check in Poland, I comprehended the reality that I had to go back to Kyiv to collect my documents. I had to go through all the horror again.  I quickly collected all the documents and other necessities and went to the consular interview in order to get a visa to live in the country Israel. Ezra helped with consultations for my son when he left for Israel. I also asked for a consultation before making my appointment with the Consul. This was a big help for me.   I also received financial assistance and support.   Ezra’s help was very necessary for me and very timely. I would like to express my deep gratitude for everything!

My husband and I have been together for 17 years. Our son, Evgenii is now 15—he is our only child and we have directed all our efforts to make sure that he is provided with everything necessary. Now it’s very important to me that my son is safe and that there is financial stability and confidence in the future. At the moment I understood that Israel has all this for us!  Until recently everything was okay in our family. My husband worked as a builder, and I worked as a teacher. We weren’t wealthy but we had enough for our needs. We had many dreams for the future, but all our dreams were cut short by the war. At the beginning of the war, construction of houses in Kyiv stopped and my husband lost his job for a while. I worked online but didn’t receive a full salary. At the same time Kyiv was under attack and it was very scary. I didn’t want to leave for some European country because I wasn’t ready to leave my husband alone.  So, we lived for a while on our savings but it was a struggle financially. My husband found a part time job, but it was not enough to support our family. Due to this situation we decided to make aliyah (immigrate to Israel). We feel this will give our son a good future. Evgenii and I will go now to Israel and pray to the Almighty that the war will end soon, and my husband can join us. I have relatives in Israel. They are very concerned about our situation here and want to help. Initially we will live with relatives and learn the language. I want to work again with children.  I hope my husband can join us soon and that we can live a normal life again. It was very difficult to leave him behind. We do not know what will happen next in Ukraine!  Ezra helped us with gathering documents for the consular check and also helped us financially. They gave us advice. We were taken to Vinnitsa from where we went on to Moldova to undergo consular check and get our flight to Israel.  For us, your help was timely and necessary. It is a great miracle that there are people who care about others. Please accept our sincere thanks!

We have two sons and they made aliyah already in the 90s. One lives in Netanya and the other in Haifa. We are already elderly and want to be closer to our children  We didn’t go right away because we wanted the children to get settled and, if something didn’t work out, then they had somewhere to return to. Then my husband fell ill. He suffered a stroke. Recovery took a long time, and, after that, he didn’t want to go anywhere.  We decided then it was time to make aliyah and went to the Consul they gave us a whole list of documents that we had to provide. We didn’t always live in Kharkov – our parents moved a lot because of their profession – so it took a long time to wait for documents from Russia.  And when everything was ready and only a visa remained, my husband again said he did not want to go anywhere – his roots are here! And I asked him, “Who is more important to you – their children and their wellbeing or your past?” In general, we decided to go together, and healthy common sense won! Many thanks to Ezra for financial assistance. We are pensioners and live modestly. There is no extra money, and we did not have money for passports. They also drove us from Kharkov to the airport in Kiev.  The journey was about 7 hours – we are elderly, and my husband has had a stroke and we were worried about how we would endure the journey, but everything turned out well. The drive drove very ‘gently’ and somehow the time flew by imperceptibly and we were hardly tired at all! Thank you for everything.

In September 2021 I was able to send my daughter, Masha, to Israel to study on the NAALE education program.  The two months that preceded this event were very busy with paperwork and preparation for the flight itself!  We, as they say, managed to enter the last car of the train with a lucky ticket to a new life! Even having sent my daughter, I still did not have a very clear idea of my own next steps regarding repatriation.  I thought that I would do it when my daughter started serving in the army or even later.  But after the outbreak of the war on February 24, 2002, plans changed dramatically.  Realising that I was alone (my husband died in 2016) I decided that I should fly out to be with my daughter. And so my journey to Israel began.  I had help from Dmitry (Jewish Agency, Dina (Ezra) and Anya P (Beit Dan) – they were all interested in me, organized everything and made life easier for us at this time.  I’d like to express my gratitude to Ezra.  At the right moment, when I needed financial assistance, I received it very quickly.  Dina responded immediately and I was able to order the necessary documents by the right time.  Thanks to Ezra too for contacting me and explaining how to do the evacuation.  Everything was explained and organized.  And even though my journey to Israel began during the war and was not pre-planned it’s incredible how much help was given along the way – temporary housing in Vinnitsa (where both Christian and Jewish organizations helped) and then also in Poland.  When I boarded the plane I heard a phrase from a crew member:  “My dears, welcome home!”  I will remember her for the rest of my life!  These keywords are now with me for all time.  I flew on an airplane for the first time.  I flew away from the war.  I was carrying a frightened cat but I flew to my daughter.  I flew home!  Now my task is to quickly go through adaptation, learn the language, find a job and help my daughter in everything.  Today I have documents.  I’m dealing with the issue of renting an apartment and looking forward to seeing my daughter as soon as possible.  Thank you for your help – it was invaluable!

We have lived in Odessa all our lives. We heard of families leaving for Israel and some of our acquaintances left and seemed to be satisfied. We had no thoughts of leaving and would not have thought about it if the war had not broken out. Everything was relatively calm in Odessa. We listened to the reports every day and were worried about our Ukraine. We saw and heard that many people were leaving Ukraine. My husband and I were surprised and wondered why they were leaving as it was quiet in Odessa, no shooting.  Galina from Ezra called us several times and offered help. Friends called from Israel – but I was afraid to step out of my comfort zone. And then, suddenly, they started firing rockets in our city. It is impossible to sleep at night due to the sirens. My husband and I then began to think about aliyah and decided to go!   We called Galina and she arranged for their driver, Sergei, to come for us. He came and picked us up. There were many checkpoints on the roads, sometimes we were stopped, and our documents checked. Another family was with us. The mood was unsettling. We were afraid we would be fired on and of driving into the unknown. We arrived safely in Vinnitsa and some people met us there, put us in a hotel, fed us – and we didn’t pay for anything. It was very unusual. The next day we were taken to the border with Moldova. Before leaving, Galina promised us that Alla, the Ezra representative in Moldova, would also meet us and take care of us. And, indeed, Alla met us, settled us again in a hotel and fed us in the same way. In the morning Alla told us that she had booked us in for a consular check but we had to wait 3 days because there was a long queue. We passed the check, were given visas as everything was in order with the documents. A day later, we flew to Israel!   Our fears gradually melted away. We met people who cared so much about us. Amazing people. Galina called us several times and encouraged us, Sergei the driver was very attentive. Alla in Moldova looked after us, as with small children. Although I saw how many people came, she was very attentive with everyone. The impression I have of all these people is beautiful. After such experiences we believe everything will be fine even though we are a bit fearful of all the changes ahead. Ezra is a much-needed organization. Thanks to those who created it! Thanks to the representatives in Odessa and Moldova

My elder sister has been living in Israel for over a year now. She was the first to gather the package of documents confirming our Jewish roots. It was not easy for her to do this, but she turned to Ezra and received both financial and emotional support. She is happy now to be in Israel. Our parents live in Kakhovka, but I rented a room in Kyiv as I studied and worked there. It has been six months since I decided I wanted to make aliyah and I have been working on this. Firstly, I consulted with Ezra on what I needed to do. Then I started to act according to the plan! I asked my Dad to give me the originals of the necessary documents, contacted the service center to apply for a passport, ordered a certificate of good conduct, made an appointment at the embassy on the date when my documents were due to be ready. The appointment was for 1 March but somewhere in the middle of February I received a message from them saying the appointment was canceled and no reason was given. Then I found out that the embassy had moved to Lviv. Already in my mind I was preparing to go to Lviv for an appointment with the consul but that was not destined to happen as the war began on 24 February. It also meant I didn’t have time to get a passport. Shelling began in Kyiv and sirens howled. I sat in the subway with other people, trying to escape, and I didn’t know what to do next. To my great joy the internet and mobile communications were still working. I was able to get in touch with Ezra’s staff and get the advice I needed. I was told that the Israeli embassy was now in Poland and that I could get there by an evacuation train from Kyiv. I was also told that I could get to Israel even with a Ukrainian (not an international) passport provided I had all the documents confirming my Jewish roots. I had them so I decided to take a chance. It was a very difficult path – to collect the minimum amount of things, stand in a huge queue for the evacuation train to Lviv, sit in a crowded carriage for a long time and then to stand for a day at the border with Poland, also in line to cross the border, find the embassy and make an appointment with the consul. All this time I had emotional support from Ezra’s employees. Now I am in Israel, and I am happy that all these difficulties are behind me! I want the war in Ukraine to end as soon as possible so that people will not suffer any more! Without Ezra’s support, prompts and constant telephone consultations I would not have been able to leave this hell. I called the Ezra office at all times of day, and I was always listened to and supported. I was given financial help and thanks to this and volunteers in Poland, I was able to hold out until I flew to Israel. Your participation in my life is very valuable to me. Thank you very much for the help and support. Thank you for just being there!

I am 27 years old and single. I have many plans for the future. I always tried to study well and be obedient! My parents did a lot for me and supported me in everything. I am a musician by profession, but this did not bring a good income. Until now, I have lived with my parents, and they still support me. The moment came when I wanted to change everything. Making aliyah (immigration to Israel) is a chance for me to become a successful, independent person. I knew we had Jewish relatives and I began to study our family history. It turns out that my grandmother was Jewish and that we have the right to repatriation. This was a great discovery for me – both joyful and hopeful. I managed to gather the necessary documents and get a visa for Israel. I was due to fly out – all my suitcases were packed. and I felt very optimistic. In fact in my heart, I was already in Israel. Then an unexpected event happened. I received the result of my coronavirus test, and it was positive! I was removed from the flight list which greatly upset me. I lay for a week with a high temperature and then my parents also caught it from me. I am grateful to the Almighty that we all had a moderate form. Now everything is over, and I can finally leave for Israel. I want to learn Hebrew. I dream of changing professions and want to do landscape design. I want to learn more about Israel’s history and to travel around the country. The Ezra program helped me with consultation in the collection of documents for the consular check. Thanks to Ezra I was able to recover my grandmother’s Jewish documents. They covered the costs of the registration of certificates necessary for the embassy and they brought me to the airport. It was a very big surprise to me that in our days there are people who help the Jews. I’m used to having to pay for everything, but you are amazing people. You are giving others a chance. This is such a rarity these days. Thanks a lot!

  My husband and I are the same age – 65 years old.  We are both from Zhitomir and have lived here all our lives.  Our daughter was born here, grew up, studied and got married.  Ten years ago, she left with her husband and little daughter to live in Israel.  We stayed in our native and beloved city because at that moment we were not ready to make our aliyah.  We believed that life in Ukraine would get better and that my daughter and her family would come and visit us, and we would go and visit them.  It didn’t work out as I wanted!  Over these ten years many changes have taken place in Ukraine but not for the better.   There have been two revolutions, frequent changes of government, war in the East of the country.  My husband and I are both pensioners.  My pension is $85 per month and Mikhail’s is $115.  All my pension goes to pay off utility bills.  Mikhail found a part time job, so we still had a small income, thanks to which we did not go hungry.  We want to live the years that we have left in a country where people are taken care of; where the elderly do not feel like beggars and that they are not needed any more.  We want to live in a country where there are good doctors and normal treatment.  Fortunately, we have the right to become citizens of such a country.  Israel is our new home!  The situation in the world has also changed due to the coronavirus pandemic.  For the last two years my daughter can’t visit us, and we can’t go to her.  Nobody expected this to happen!  We understand that we can’t necessarily expect improvements in the future.  So, we are leaving this city without any regrets and going to where we have a future in our old age.  Our daughter has been inviting us to come for a long time already. Ezra helped us a lot both financially and morally.  Now the rules at the Israeli Embassy have changed so that you make your appointment with the consul and fill out the questionnaire electronically and we didn’t know how to do this.  Ezra helped us with this.  They also helped financially to issue police clearance certificates required by the Embassy and then, on departure day, they brought us to the airport.  Your help is a huge support for poor families like us!  Many thanks and much respect to you, kind people.

We are going to Israel to reunite our family.  My parents have lived in Israel already for a long time.  When my parents made aliyah I had fallen in love with Kristina, and I wanted to get married in Ukraine and then later make the move to Israel.  We got married 18 months ago and we now have a son, David, and as a family decided to make our aliyah. I work in an IT company, and I plan to continue to work in this industry, but in Israel.  Israel is one of the leading countries in this field.  I believe that everything will work out for us there.  Of course, we will miss our friends and Kristina’s relatives here. We have a small boy and we wanted to get to Kiev from Kharkov by train and then stay overnight in a hotel as to travel in a minibus for 7 hours with a small child would be difficult, but we didn’t know how we would cope with all our luggage etc.  Then we talked with Ezra, and they agreed to take our luggage and meet us at the airport!   A huge thank you from us for the help!

I come from Poltava and have lived my whole life here. I have never been abroad. I dreamed of getting settled somehow, hoping for the best, but the moment came when I realized that my hopes and dreams were simply unrealistic, and I started looking for another way – and it was found! Since childhood I have dreamt that I would drive a car. I really like technology. So, when I got my licence at the age of 18, I began to work as a driver. For the last few years, I have been working as a minibus driver. Since I am not yet married and do not have a family to support, my income was enough to rent a house and provide myself with everything I needed. I was planning to buy myself a good car but then the pandemic changed everything! When these lockdowns began, public transport was not supposed to work and even when we worked very few people were using the transport. We began to incur losses and there was no compensation from the State. My stable income had become completely unstable. For some time, I had to live on the money that I had saved. I realized that there could be future lockdowns. I began to think it might be a good idea to start my life in Israel. Some of my relatives have already made aliyah and they are very happy. So, I collected the documents needed to pass my consular check and received my visa. I am opening a new page in my life! I love my job and, in fact, all I can do is drive a car and tinker with equipment. I want to work as a driver in Israel. I want to drive on good roads. I dream of meeting my love and starting a family. I want to have a good income – I am hard working, and my work should be paid with dignity. Ezra helped me with advice and also financially which helped me get to the consular checks, get my passport and certificates. They also took me to the airport. Ezra’s help has been a tremendous support to me. I want to thank you and I wish all the good that you do will return to you a hundredfold!

My husband Sergei and I have been married for ten years.  When we got married, we dreamed of having a big family.  We wanted at least three children, but the years passed, and the long-awaited pregnancy did not come.  We began to go to different clinics, well known doctors but no one was able to help us.  All these consultations with doctors, tests and some treatments were very expensive and unsuccessful.  We were not living a high life.  My husband is a builder and I worked in sales. These expenses were piling up and were too high for our family budget to maintain It is difficult to give up our dream and to accept that we will not have children is very painful.  We were offered a final option – IVF [in vitro fertilization] but we are not able to pay for it and there is no guarantee that everything will work out the first time.  Sergei and I were both upset and became depressed.   But fate gave us hope!  I decided to try and prove my Jewish roots.  At that time, I did not know if it will work out or not, but I knew one thing, that in Israel many married couples are being helped.  I knew that there are more opportunities to earn money, even for the IVF procedure which is offered here.  I knew that medicine in Israel is advanced and that we would have a greater chance of becoming parents if we made aliyah.  Then came two years of searching for the documents of my Jewish grandmother.  There were endless requests to different authorities, archives and waiting for answers.  But we did not give up!  Fortunately, my efforts were crowned with success, and I was able to prove my Jewish roots and the [Israeli] Consul gave us the go-ahead for repatriation. Sergei and I are very happy and believe that now everything will work out.  We plan to visit Jerusalem, touch the Western Wall and tell the Almighty about our cherished desire.  We believe that it will come to pass. We plan to learn the language.  Sergei is a very skillful, experienced builder and we have heard that such specialists are appreciated in Israel.  We will work, we will seek medical help and we hope soon to hold our first child in our arms. Ezra helped us with the collection of documents for consular checks.  They helped pay for passports and police clearance certificates and on our departure day, they took us to the airport.  Ezra’s help was very necessary – without them, we will not have been able to leave now.  It would have taken us a long time to collect the necessary amount to pay for our passports and other necessary expenses.  Thank you very much for your care!

Both my husband and I felt a strong desire to move to Israel. I have Jewish roots and have known for a long time that I could make aliyah. However, for a long time, I could not make up my mind to repatriate. I loved my job, my friends, and my apartment. My husband and I lived in Kiev with our two children and lived quite comfortably there. Our girls growing up became quite interested in their origins and frequently joined Jewish activities, declaring they wanted to live in Israel. Our elder daughter decided to go first and study in Israel, followed by our youngest daughter. The eldest already lived three years in Israel and our youngest, 16 years old, lived there for a year. Both do not want to return to Ukraine. My husband and I did not want to break away from our comfort zone, deciding to live in Kiev and our children in Israel. The children desperately wanted us to move to Israel, but we decided to stay. We lived with such convictions for a year; then something began to happen inside us, work ceased to please us as before; even our relationships with our friends were not as close anymore. Frankly, we started to feel lonely, and our hearts filled with a great longing. A desire filled my soul to drop everything and fly to Israel! It is difficult to explain why this feeling came now, but I understood that the time has come, and I am ready for this step. I do not see it happening any other way now! Before, we did not want to come to Israel because it would mean we would have to change our way of life to get out of our comfort zone. Now, something has changed inside. There was an understanding that we need this move, that this exit from our comfort zone would be a blessing for us. We are confident that we can quickly adapt to new circumstances and be much better than now! As an accountant, I have worked in financial institutions all my life. Now I want to change my career and help people. I am ready to help the elderly or to look after children. I want a change. My husband is in construction, and I think he will find an excellent job in Israel. We want to be closer to our daughters and to babysit our grandchildren when they come along! Ezra was a great support to us, especially morally at first. When I decided whether to go or not, I often called them. They helped me, always being respectful, understanding of our circumstances, and responded with kindness. They helped us to issue the necessary certificates for the Embassy and took us to the airport. Ezra also assisted our daughters before studying in Israel. We are grateful for such care. My husband and I are infinitely grateful for all the care and assistance provided to our family. This was a tremendous support and joy for us. It is good that there are kind, sympathetic people who bring joy to others.

  Alexei is 32 years old with a wife and two sons. He had a business in Ukraine that imported goods from China to Ukraine. He and Olga are from Kiev and came to Israel to visit and fell in love. Their oldest son will be 6 years old and it is the perfect time to make a life change as he will begin school.  Being Jewish, Alexei and his family know that Israel is home. His mother still lives in Kiev and once they are settled, she will make Aliyah. The quarantine of 2020 gave them the push to immigrate now. Ezra helped us collect the necessary documents before our consular check and gave us a lot of advice.  They also took us to the airport with all our luggage. Alexei is amazed that people help other people these days as he understands in business, it is all about profit. “I’m used to being asked for money everywhere and no one has ever offered me any help before.  Thank you so much for your care. After experiencing this, I also have the desire to help others in need!”