In August, The Fellowship helped Javier, Romina, and their family make aliyah from Argentina. Since then, they have been living in the city of Karmiel in northern Israel, where they are settling into their new lives, learning Hebrew, and helping their three children—Jeremia, Valentino, and Ingrid—adjust to school. Fellowship staff have continued to follow up with Romina and provide assistance, including helping the family explore job opportunities as they consider where they would like to settle permanently.
Romina and her family came from a small Jewish community in northwestern Argentina. While antisemitism was not a major concern for them, the country’s ongoing economic instability made life increasingly difficult. Over the past several years, Argentina’s economy has experienced periods of recovery followed by sharp downturns. Javier was the first to suggest moving to Israel, and Romina didn’t hesitate. Already struggling to make ends meet, she realized that moving to Israel could provide their children with a more stable and secure future. The Fellowship began assisting the family as they started gathering the necessary documentation, which proved to be the most challenging part of their move.
Romina says, “We were forced to ask for help with the costs of the documentation and the issuance of all the passports for the family, which for us meant a challenge financially. We were so thankful when we were told that we could have that paid for us. Then, when we arrived, everything had been arranged for us: transportation from the airport to the absorption center, and then the following day all the organizations that we needed were there for us. We even got health insurance immediately, with everything explained to us clearly. It really could not have been easier than it was.”
Many people helped the family throughout their move, but Romina especially remembers The Fellowship’s assistance. She also shares that many Israelis have helped them adjust to their new surroundings, with many becoming their friends. Now that the children are attending school, Romina and Javier are focusing on improving their Hebrew. They would like to remain in Karmiel, which their children have already grown to love, but they are also eager to explore job opportunities once they become more proficient in the language.
“It is moving to see the solidarity and feeling of fraternity here in the country,” said Romina, “It is moving for us to see how much the children ask and how curious they are about Jewish culture and the history of their new country. We can tell that they really want to integrate and blend into society, like we do. We all want to work hard, and we think we have a bright future here. It feels like a new beginning for all of us, and we feel blessed to be here.”