|
Catherine was born in St. Petersburg, Russia. Despite the fact that her family was not religious, she began to feel a deep connection to her Jewish roots after spending time at a local club for Jewish youth where she learned about Israel and Judaism.
After finishing university, Catherine took part in a program that enabled her to spend six months on a kibbutz in Israel. The experience changed Catherine’s life forever. “It was incredible,” Catherine remembers. “When I went to Friday night services in Russia we always left in large groups because members of anti-Semitic nationalist groups would wait nearby hoping to start a fight. Not having to be afraid to be a Jew was a revelation.”
After returning to Russia from Israel it did not take long for Catherine to realize what she had to do. “I felt so much more connected to Israel than I did Russia,” she says. “I guess there’s something about the Jewish soul that feels at home in Israel.” With funding from The Fellowship’s On Wings of Eagles program, Catherine was able to realize her dream and come to Israel permanently.
Today Catherine, now 21 years old, lives in the Fellowship-funded Beit Canada absorption center where she is learning Hebrew and preparing to enlist in the Israeli army. While serving in the armed forces is extremely demanding, Catherine nonetheless looks forward to doing what she can for her country. “Israel has given me so much,” she says. “I feel privileged to give something in return.”
Catherine is forever grateful to friends of The Fellowship for giving her the opportunity to live in the Jewish homeland, but continues to feel the pain of the Soviet Jews who remain behind, subject to the same hateful anti-Semitism she was able to escape. “You are God’s messengers,” she says. “There are still so many Jews who want to come home and need your help. Please continue helping.”
|
