Faces of The Fellowship: Nina

The Fellowship | February 2, 2022

Elderly woman in pink shirt smiling while a woman in a black shirt is helping her. — (Photo: Arik Shraga)

‘The Fellowship Is Like Air to Breathe’

Nina can’t remember the last time she could afford to buy meat at the grocery store. She only buys essentials, since her small social security check barely covers rent.

At 84, Nina has suffered many tragedies that have put her in the position she is in today. The most recent being a broken hip. At the time, she was living in Russia and there was no treatment or care available for this type of injury. As a result, she became bed-bound for a year. Thankfully, she managed to make aliyah (immigrate to Israel), where health care professionals could help her. Doctors in the Holy Land operated on her, allowing her to recover and live a more active life. While Nina’s hip is still weak, she manages to take morning walks to lift her spirit.

But her hip injury is nothing compared to what she went through during her childhood in Russia. Nina is a Holocaust survivor and was evacuated to a distant town where her family lived for the duration of World War II. After the war, she managed to become one of the top managers of a large shoe manufacturing company, despite facing anti-Semitic attitudes. “I’ve heard many times things like ‘You’re a good person despite being a Jew,’” Nina says.

Caring for Holocaust Survivors in Need

With so many painful memories, she feels blessed to live in Israel, where she is free to celebrate her faith. Still, her financial issues are a burden (many Israeli Holocaust survivors today find themselves in a similar position). She worries she won’t be able to pay her caregiver, who helps Nina with her health issues and with daily tasks. This is why the monthly grocery card she receives from The Fellowship feels like “air to breathe.” Now Nina can focus on her health and living a happy life in the Holy Land!

Thanks to friends like you, The Fellowship is able to support Holocaust survivors in need throughout Israel and across the vast former Soviet Union by delivering basic necessities needed for survival. Learn how you can join our ministry today and care for Holocaust survivors in need!