A recent Fellowship Freedom Flight from Brazil brought a family together in the Holy Land — this time, for good. Retired couple Cyrano and Perola moved from São Paulo to central Israel, where their two sons have been living since 2015 and 2020. After a difficult two years, during which their youngest son fought in the Swords of Iron War after his military outpost was attacked by Hamas terrorists on October 7, the couple has finally joined their sons in Petach Tikva.
Cyrano and Perola gave their children as strong a Jewish upbringing as they could, attending synagogue and traveling to Israel while the boys were still in school. Perola’s family, originally from Poland, was persecuted during World War II. Her father went out to fight the Nazis, and when he returned after the war, he learned that all his family members had been murdered in Auschwitz. Because he had an uncle in Buenos Aires, Perola’s father joined other Holocaust survivors on a ship to Argentina. However, unfamiliar with South America, he ended up in São Paulo, Brazil, instead.
After Cyrano and Perola’s oldest son made aliyah in 2015, their youngest son Raphael followed in 2020. He joined the IDF as a lone soldier in the Golani Infantry Brigade. Perola recalls when the outpost where Raphael was stationed was attacked on October 7. He was one of only five IDF soldiers to survive a battle in which 25 troops faced approximately 150 terrorists.
“We were very concerned for him, and we couldn’t go to Israel to visit because airports were closed, and then, because we did not want to add to his concerns. He came to Brazil for two months during the war and we were able to hug him and talk to him in person. However, for most of the time he was far away and for us it was torture,” says Perola.
Raphael is now out of the IDF and working at a restaurant. He receives help from Fellowship-supported Beit Halochem (Soldier’s House). Cyrano and Perola’s older son works as a psychologist for the Tel Aviv Police Force.
Perola says that leaving Brazil was difficult, but she is grateful that her family is together again.
“We knew that The Fellowship is a good organization, but we didn’t really know the extent of its work. We are still in touch with the staff here in Israel, who help us with our questions. We are very grateful for everything The Fellowship has done and continues to do for us.”
