About 600 Jews live in Ecuador – one of the smallest Jewish populations in South America. As the population declines, the quality of Jewish education and life has suffered. Felix says his desire for his children to grow up as proud members of a thriving Jewish community led his family to come to Israel.
Felix made aliyah with his wife, Grace, and their children, Abraham (15), Rafaela (11), and Jaia (3), ahead of the High Holy Days. As observant, Bible-loving Jews, Felix and Grace always wanted to give their children a quality Jewish education, but Ecuador has limited resources for this.
During the aliyah process, they were referred to The Fellowship, which helped them plan their flights and secure additional benefits available to larger families. The family is now settling in the northern city of Afula. Felix and Grace will enroll their children in school once they move out of their temporary apartment.
In the meantime, the family is also learning Hebrew. Felix is a lawyer and plans to have his credentials revalidated so he can practice in Israel. They have also made connections with some of their neighbors—other South American olim who were happy to bring them plates and silverware as they settled into their new home.
Fellowship staff followed up with Felix soon after his family arrived. He says, “This was the realization of a dream we’ve had for years. We went to visit Jerusalem, and we felt such a powerful connection to the Divine. We will spend the majority of the holidays in our temporary home in Afula, but we already have invitations from friends to spend Sukkot with them, which we know will be very special. It will be a chance to thank God, and everyone involved for the privilege of being here and being able to start a new life here as residents of the Land of Israel.”