Faces of The Fellowship: Yevhen Makes Aliyah From Ukraine

The Fellowship  |  August 12, 2021

“The first place we’re going to visit when we’re able to go out will be the Western Wall, the beating heart of the country.” That’s Yevhen, who you helped take a Fellowship Freedom Flight all the way from Ukraine to Israel this summer.

Today, he’s officially living in the Holy Land with his wife Marta and their 7-year-old son Sava. They have been working hard to prepare for their big move to Israel, and have many plans once they are done with their quarantine due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“During the last year, we have attended Hebrew classes in preparation for our new life. Sava has watched many movies about Israel. He cannot wait to visit all the places he has seen on the screen,” says Yevhen. And Yevhen is looking forward to opening a business as an industrial designer.  

But it was one of the most influential figures in Yevhen’s life – his beloved grandmother – that inspired him to dream of calling Israel home. “During WWII, her village was occupied by the Nazis, and she was forced to wear a yellow badge on her clothes, identifying her as a Jew,” explains Yevhen. It is her harrowing experience that taught Yevhen how important the land of Israel is to his ancestors.

Yevhen adds that even today, “It’s difficult to be of Jewish origin in Ukraine nowadays. There is a lot of hostility towards Jews all around the country.”

Today, though, they have hope for a bright future in Israel where they can celebrate their Jewish faith freely. “Our journey would not have been possible without the enormous support we got from The Fellowship. It felt like they always had the answers for every problem. The help that we got is priceless and we will never forget it. Thank you!”

Learn more about our aliyah response during the coronavirus pandemic.