Last week, in addition to Freedom Flights from India, The Fellowship also brought olim from South American countries such as Argentina and Colombia. Much like the Bnei Menashe, these Jews come from small communities, often numbering only around 5,000 people.
This was the case for Edwin and his family, who arrived from Cali—Colombia’s third-largest city, home to three historic synagogues and a dwindling, largely elderly Jewish population. However, today, Edwin has a young family and big dreams in the Holy Land.
Edwin says, “We have been discussing it for years with our friends who made aliyah and the idea was always there, but we didn’t have the courage to do it. Now, our daughter is 10 years old, and we feel that making aliyah has become a necessity. We want to give her a robust Jewish upbringing, with Jewish education and with friends of her age with whom she can share her Jewishness. We also want a larger family, and it’s important to us to enable our children to be proud of their Jewish heritage and pass it along to their children.”
That sense of Jewish identity has begun to fade in Colombia. Edwin explains that Jewish children are often unable to go out on their own. While Colombia has historically been welcoming to Jews, anti-Semitic hostility has become more normalized—even in cities like Cali, where the Jewish community was already isolated.
A family friend who made aliyah from Panama shared The Fellowship’s contact information, helping Edwin’s family navigate the process. On April 28, Edwin, his wife, and their daughter arrived in Israel on a Fellowship Freedom Flight. After their stay at an absorption center, they plan to move to Karmiel in northern Israel, drawn by its walkability and natural surroundings.
“[Our friend] said that The Fellowship was the best way to go to get all the support that we need,” Edwin recalls. “He was absolutely correct. We received a lot more than just information. We also found understanding, patience and passion about the work that the organization does. This was huge for us, coming from a remote community. Suddenly we felt that we were not alone, and it was moving to see how committed other people were to help us make our dream come true. We found so many resources and words of encouragement, and we really could not be more grateful to The Fellowship, to its staff, its donors, and everyone who makes this possible.”
