Someone to Always Take Care of Her
The Fellowship | January 16, 2025
Chaya, now 97-years-old, grew up in a loving Jewish home in Latvia, in the former Soviet Union. But then World War II came, and the happy, secure family was uprooted and had to evacuate to Siberia.
Her father was one of 13 children, and all of his siblings perished in the Holocaust. He was the only one who survived. The war years were difficult, not only because of the cold in Siberia, but also due to food shortages. The family could no longer maintain a Jewish lifestyle and had to conceal their Jewish identity because of the local residents’ hostile attitude toward Jews.
After the war, Chaya fulfilled her dream of making aliyah (immigrating to Israel) where she was able to live out her faith freely and has never had to hide her Jewish identity ever again.
But today, she finds herself living in war again, as the war on Israel continues in the Holy Land. And in her elderly years, she now has difficulty hearing and can’t hear when code-red sirens sound to warn of incoming rocket attacks. It’s during this difficulty that she’s reminded of the hopelessness she felt as a child during the war.
This is why your care of vulnerable elderly during wartime in Israel is so important. The Fellowship visits Chaya and provides her help and comfort – assistance that she’s relied on for the last ten years. This support is extremely important and meaningful because the food makes her feel secure. “I know there is someone who always takes care of me, and that is the most important thing for me at my age,” says Chaya. “To know that I am remembered and helped to survive even in this difficult year of war.”