Thanks to the help of The Fellowship, Cynthia, her husband, Yoni, and four children were able to make aliyah from France earlier this month – just in time for Hanukkah and New Year’s.
The couple is raising four girls, ages 2 to 15, and had worked to achieve a stable life in France with Yoni working in car rentals and Cynthia specializing in makeup art for weddings and other special events. They describe their home as being full of life, joy, and the warm chaos that comes with four growing daughters. However, France would go from mostly calm and tolerant to experiencing the highest spike in anti-Semitism in Europe.
Cynthia recalls going to school as a teenager and experiencing anti-Semitic comments from classmates, some of which were used casually. Despite those instances and how much they hurt, she didn’t let them define her and recalls living a relatively peaceful life as she became an adult and met Yoni.
But she felt a shift in the atmosphere and new tension after October 7, 2023. Neighbors stared at her and her family. The hate speech had become subtle actions, with people avoiding conversation or refusing to hold the door when she passed with a stroller. Her children began reporting even more anti-Semitism than she had experienced at school.
Cynthia visited Israel when she was 17 and had expressed an interest in aliyah since then. But moving such a big family and leaving financial stability in France was not going to be easy. Inspired by a recent visit to her brother and his family in Ra’anana and the sense of belonging she felt in Israel, she decided it was time to come to the Holy Land.
“The assistance we received from The Fellowship was tremendous. From financial help to assistance with furniture and guidance through every step of the process, it felt like support on every level. It was a breath of fresh air, like oxygen. We felt confident, cared for, and no longer alone. We were guided through everything, and The Fellowship’s Klitah (Integration) Coordinator for French Olim visited us a week after our arrival to help us settle. This support fills us with gratitude and strength.”
Cynthia, Yoni, and their children are settling into Ra’anana, not too far from their relatives. They lit this year’s Hanukkah candles in their new home and have the New Year’s resolutions of embracing Israeli life, studying Hebrew, and living openly as Jews.
“For us, aliyah is not only a dream, but also a return, because Israel is home. The Diaspora is like a hotel, sometimes luxurious and offering privileges that Israel may not always provide. However, Israel … Israel is where the Jewish people truly belong. It is the only place where being Jewish feels natural, safe, and celebrated.”
