Faces of The Fellowship: Kira

The Fellowship  |  December 13, 2017

Rabbi Eckstein smiling with Kira, IFCJ recipient.
Faces of The Fellowship: Kira

Kira is very full of life and energy for an 83 year old. Some of her zest for life comes from the fact that she just made aliyah (immigrated to Israel) on a Fellowship Freedom Flight from Kiev, Ukraine, along with her son, and she feels so blessed to finally live in the land of her ancestors.

Yet some of her aliveness comes from the fact that she survived World War II, even as some of her family members perished. So she tries to live her life with passion because she knows others never had this opportunity.

She was born into a military family. Her father and brothers all fought and died in WWII, and her mother, also in the military, managed to escape to Siberia. Kira survived the war, and reunited with her mother after the war ended.

Kira then went on to marry, have a son, and become a well-loved teacher. She even received an award for teacher of the year in her city, and still proudly displays the photo that the local Ukrainian newspaper published to recognize her.

Her positivity has carried her very far in life. Kira remains kind and optimistic, even when challenges come her way. Just this year, Kira had been taking care of her elderly mother who recently passed away. And she also continues to care for her son, who lives with disabilities. Now retired, she had struggled to provide for her family’s basic needs in Ukraine. But thankfully, her positive attitude continues to work well for her.

Prior to making aliyah with The Fellowship, Kira relied on us to provide for her through the Isaiah 58 program, which provides food, clothing, and basic necessities to Jews in need – especially to needy elderly – across the former Soviet Union.

Now that Kira’s in the Holy Land, she’s already received a refrigerator from The Fellowship to help her succeed in Israel. She is so excited for what this new life has in store for her and her son! All of this help wouldn’t be possible without our wonderful donors, and Kira feels very blessed.

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