A Life of Resilience
The Fellowship | May 1, 2025
Vilena, 83, was born in Kazakhstan in the middle of World War II. Her family was originally from Moldova; they fled to Central Asia to escape Nazi persecution. Vilena’s father was sent to fight on the front lines, while her mother struggled to care for their family in a harsh and unfamiliar land. On the journey to Kazakhstan, Vilena’s older brother, just four years old, tragically passed away.
When the war ended, Vilena’s family returned to their home in Moldova, only to find their Jewish community had been decimated, with entire families — including Vilena’s relatives — murdered in the Holocaust.
The deep scars of this history remain with Vilena to this day.
“I read about it, I watch the movies, and I still can’t understand how people could forget,” she says. “It stays with you… It’s right here.”
Despite the hardships, Vilena built a life of resilience and service. She studied to become a nurse, a career she devoted herself to for 40 years. She married and raised two children, embracing Jewish traditions when possible.
“We always had matzah on Passover,” she recalls with a smile.
Now a widow, Vilena lives alone in a small apartment about an hour from the Moldovan capital of Kishinev. She suffers from numerous health issues, and her pension is barely enough to cover her basic needs.
Thankfully, The Fellowship provides her with food assistance and holiday food boxes, which we delivered recently this past Passover.
For Vilena, Passover is more than just a holiday — it is a symbol of survival.
“It brings tears to my eyes,” she says. “It reminds me of our journey from slavery to freedom, of patience, and of the strength of the Jewish people.”
“You don’t know me, but you think about me, and that means everything.”
