‘It Is a Big Help’
The Fellowship | April 24, 2024
Genia, an 88-year-old Holocaust survivor, was born to a Jewish family in Ukraine in 1936. Her father was a soldier fighting on the Finnish front lines. When World War II broke out, he moved to the border with Germany. His convoy passed through the city and Genia saw her father who came to warn them. “Run, run quickly and do not look back, the Nazis will come here and kill everyone,” he told them.
Her mother took her and her baby sister and struggled to get on a freight train. “It was extremely crowded and when the train started moving, we heard loud explosions from the bombs. The smell of death was in the air,” says Genia.
Finally, the family reached Kazakhstan, where they spent the rest of the difficult war years. In 1945 they returned to Ukraine. The city was destroyed and the apartment where they had lived was occupied by Ukrainians. A woman came out of the apartment with an axe in her hands and said: “Get out of here or I’ll finish the job the Nazis did not succeed to do.”
From there, Genia had to rebuild her life. She graduated as an engineer, then worked as an engineer until her retirement. Later in life, she was able to fulfill her dream and make aliyah (immigrate to Israel).
Life in Israel is a blessing, but still has its challenges. Her older son died of a cardiac arrest in 2013, her daughter lives in Israel and checks on Genia weekly. But the help she receives from The Fellowship keeps her going, especially as the war continues in Israel.
“It is a big help and I want to thank The Fellowship for it,” says Genia. “I can go and buy fruits and vegetables for myself, and I feel like someone is taking care of me.”
The Fellowship is also helping Genia celebrate Passover. Our transportation vehicle allows her to visit a day center for the elderly. “The day center has a lot of activities that I love,” she explains. “I will celebrate Passover with the others at the club and thanks to The Fellowship’s vehicle, I can get there! Thank you!”