By: Anastasiya Gooding

For each of the 1,000 new Jewish immigrants the ICEJ has brought to Israel over recent months there is a unique story of their journey “home”. Although the Fraerman family’s recent trip took only four days, their journey to Israel spanned eleven long years.

On 12 May, Serguei and Tatyana Fraerman, and daughters Olga and Elizabeth, boarded a specially chartered ‘evacuation flight’ from Moscow bound for Ben-Gurion Airport. It was still the height of the global Coronavirus lockdown, and this was the last opportunity for her to travel due to her advanced pregnancy (32 weeks with twin boys). After extra paperwork and much persuasion with airport authorities, they arrived.

“In my mind, I expected to give birth in Israel”, Tatyana recounted. “But due to Coronavirus, our flight was delayed multiple times and I would soon be forbidden to fly. We began to lose heart.”

“Then suddenly, as if a gift of fate, we received word that our flight was May 12”, she continued. “This was the last date I would be allowed to fly with my pregnancy. Suddenly we were packing suitcases and making arrangements. We had only four days. Everything happened instantly!”

Their Aliyah journey actually began back in 2009, when Serguei was still single.

“My parents died when I was nine years old and at that time I did not know about Aliyah”, said Serguei. “I knew my relatives lived in Israel, but I did not know if I could go there. Only at the age of 29 did I learn this was possible and began the process of repatriation. Then I met my spouse, our first daughter was born, then the second, and another stage in my life began, with its own day-to-day problems”.

Although the application process was long, they continued to collect all the necessary documents for moving to Israel. Yet with the Israel Embassy closed for quarantine and all airlines grounded, it appeared the dream was not to be. But then events began to miraculously unfold.

“First, I want to thank the Israeli consul for accepting our appointment during quarantine. Even though the Embassy staff were not at work, we submitted passports through the guards, and were then approved”, recalled Serguei.

Describing his first moments in Israel, Serguei said: “At Ben Gurion Airport, we were greeted by the Jewish Agency. Everything seemed to happen very quickly.”

When Jewish Agency staff learned the older daughter had to give up her scooter at the gate prior to boarding the plane, they reached out to ICEJ for help. On the family’s first day out of quarantine, they were warmly greeted by ICEJ staff who presented them with a new scooter, bike and new twin stroller. It is always a joy to meet the families who arrive in Israel on ICEJ-sponsored flights, and the ability to present them with “something they left behind” only adds to the blessing.

What does it mean for his family to finally arrive in Israel? “To come to Israel was like a call in our blood”, he said. “Here I feel at home… This is a safe place for children, and it is paradise on earth.”

Ready to embrace their future here in the Jewish homeland, Serguei and Tatyana are both very grateful to the ICEJ and Christians around the world who helped them along the way.

“I would like to thank the ICEJ for assisting us to make Aliyah. You help people make their dreams come true. Thank you so much for your support”, said Tatyana.