Trusting in The Fellowship

The Fellowship  |  January 7, 2025

Anna, an 85-year-old Holocaust survivor from Ukraine, was just two years old when World War II broke out. She fled with her mother and other siblings, and they spent the war years in Uzbekistan.

When she was older, she made aliyah (immigrated to Israel) and she tells us it was a dream come true. “Israel is my home. I love this country with all my heart. I went through the First Lebanon War here, and now, for over a year, we are again fleeing due to war.”

Right now, Anna is waiting out the war in northern Israel, where tensions with Hezbollah are high. In fact, her granddaughter and grandchildren moved out of northern Israel to be away from immediate fighting, so Anna talks to them on the phone every day. Sadly, they are all the family she has left, after she tragically lost her only daughter from a sudden heart attack three years ago.

While she remains in her home, she knows there are risks, which she was reminded of after a missile hit a shopping center just two minutes from her house.

A Loud Explosion

On that day, she heard the siren, so she started to head for the shelter. She tells us: “I’m old now, and it takes me a long time to descend the stairs. Suddenly, I heard a huge explosion. I’ve never heard such a loud noise. I raised my hands because I felt the ceiling was about to collapse on me. I thought the sound of the explosion would be the last thing I would ever hear. I was terrified.”

And then she told us something that was so heartbreaking: “Since then, I’m afraid to fall asleep at night. I sleep in my clothes so that I’m ready to run if there’s another siren.”

While we can only pray the war in Israel ends soon, we are here for Anna with support and care in the meantime.

“I find comfort in the help from The Fellowship. I almost never leave my home, and I rely on the food I receive thanks to The Fellowship. Thank you for everything you do to help Jews in Israel.”