ICEJ support vital to Israel as Aliyah numbers climb
Published on: 7.7.2022By: Chris Chambers
Since the start of 2022, the total number of Jewish immigrants moving to Israel has already surpassed the annual figures for the whole of 2021, with some 28,638 olim (newcomers) arriving in the Land between January and May. The International Christian Embassy Jerusalem has been a crucial partner with Israel and the Jewish Agency in supporting this dramatic rise in Aliyah, especially from Ukraine and Ethiopia.
Of course, a big factor in the current surge of Aliyah has been the war in Ukraine. As of the end of May, 10,974 Ukrainian Jews who fled the Russian invasion have immigrated to Israel. An even higher number of 12,592 Russian Jews have made Aliyah to escape the economic uncertainty in Russia. Together, these figures are already twice as many Jewish immigrants as arrived from Russia and Ukraine in all of last year. Over the past six months, the ICEJ has sponsored 949 of the Ukrainian olim with Aliyah flights, pre-flight assistance, rescue services, temporary housing and other needs.
Media reports of recent days have raised concerns that there will be a slowdown in Aliyah from Russia, but the Jewish Agency has clarified to us that a regular review process is underway and they expect the upward trend to continue in the coming months. So, there is much work to do.
One of the latest Aliyah flights arrived from Poland with 120 Ukrainian immigrants on 21 June. Among them was 88 year-old Donia Schwartzman, who as a seven year-old girl witnessed the murder of her mother and baby sister at the hands of the Nazis. She miraculously escaped the certain death of the “shooting pits” and survived thanks to the kindness of strangers. She eventually built a life for herself and today is a very proud great grandmother.
In her worst dreams she could not have imagined being driven out of her home again and having to endure another war. Thanks to the courage of her grandson Igor and the support of the Jewish Agency, she boarded a medically accompanied flight and has now begun her new life in Israel. When asked how we might further assist her, Donia replied, “find me a husband”. Her real wish, however, is that “there be no more war, only peace”.
The ICEJ also just funded a flight of 160 Ethiopian Jews who arrived in June as part of the Operation Tzur Yisrael (“Rock of Israel”) emergency airlift. One such family to make Israel their new home consists of Tiru (29 years old), her husband Ayinegida (38), and their three children; daughter Betelehem (9), son Eyasu (4) and little Ermiyas, a boy of almost one.
The family (as pictured above) recently expressed their excitement in making Aliyah and how they had waited ten years in Gondar, Ethiopia for news of approval to come. They even named their first born Betelehem as an expression of their faith and longing to be reunited with Tiru’s parents who made Aliyah in 2020, and her grandparents who came to Israel some years before.
Tiru and her two younger sisters had been happy for their parents when they left for Israel two years ago, and they held on to their hope and belief that one day God would bring them to Israel as well. That day finally arrived for the three sisters. Now, Tiru and her family can leave behind their harsh life as refugees where their tiny home had no electricity or running water, and the monthly rent was approximately $50, while Ayinegida could expect to earn only about $2 for a full day of hard labor. In these circumstances, the only way they could survive was with help from their family already in Israel.
Now safely in Israel, the family plans to work hard and ensure the education of their children. They know their faith in God is justified and if the miracle of Aliyah can happen, then surely more miracles are in store.
There are still many more such Jewish families who need our help as they make their way to Israel. What a joy to not only witness this great prophetic Ingathering of the Jewish people as promised in God’s word, but also to be a part of it!
“Then they will know that I am the LORD their God, for though I sent them into exile among the nations, I will gather them to their own land, not leaving any behind.” (Ezekiel 39:28)
Please continue to give generously towards the ICEJ’s Aliyah efforts as we keep reuniting Jewish immigrants with their families here in the Land promised to them.