Answered Prayers in the Holy Land

Kelli Shives  |  July 31, 2009

Avitch and Asmarah, two IFCJ recipients sitting happily together in a living room.

Avitch, 58, was a farmer in a small village in Ethiopia, but he and his wife longed to move to Israel. So they moved to Gondar with their children and applied to move to the Holy Land. While there, they took Fellowship-sponsored courses about Judaism and started to keep Jewish traditions. “My wife and I discovered that we love celebrating the Sabbath,” Avitch says.

Avitch knew the move to Israel would also impact his health. He has a skin condition that causes him to have rough, scaly skin, especially on his legs and feet. “Two years ago, the complications from this condition got so bad that it was hard for me to walk. A year ago, it was so painful that I couldn’t even stand,” he explains. Unfortunately there were no skin specialists in Ethiopia who could treat his condition.

Avitch and his family made aliyah (immigrated to Israel) in 2013 and settled at a Fellowship-sponsored absorption center in Arad, which is a world center for treating skin ailments.

“When I arrived in Israel, I was in great pain and was severely underweight. Today, I’m a new man,” Avitch says. “I’m very pleased with the medical care I’ve received in Israel, which has cured me and enabled me to walk again.”

As his health improves, Avitch hopes to find a job, earn an income to support his family, and raise his children to be successful in school and in life.

Avitch’s prayers were answered through assistance from The Fellowship, and we trust that our gracious and powerful God heard all the prayers we offered in Israel through our Prayer at the Wall campaign. It is always a privilege to pray for our amazing supporters, who do so much to bless so many around the world.

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