“God must have had some plan for us,” says Yefim, gesturing to his wife, Tamara. “While most of the people who were dear to us were slaughtered by the Nazis, somehow Tamara and I were able to survive.”

Yefim and Tamara speak of a happy childhood surrounded by a large and loving community in their hometown of Zagreb, Croatia. “That world was completely destroyed,” Tamara continues with tears in her eyes. “After the liberation of Auschwitz, Yefim and I returned home alone. Our parents and brothers and sisters had all been murdered. At that point we knew that we needed to be together if we were ever to get on with our lives.”

Tamara and Yefim married shortly after returning to Zagreb. Tamara worked as a math teacher and Yefim as a chemical engineer. They were never blessed with children but were grateful to have each other.

In 1993, Yefim and Tamara realized a dream and made aliyah (immigrated to Israel). But life has been hard. The couple lives in a tiny apartment on the top floor of a run-down building. “We can barely afford anything beyond the rent. Food, electricity, and medications are all so expensive. Every day we make decisions about what we’ll have to do without.”

When Yefim talks about the Fellowship holiday food card he and Tamara received in advance of the High Holy Days, a big smile appears on his face. “Thank you! We’re people of faith and we know that God has never abandoned us. Your lifesaving gift keeps us strong and lets us know that we’re not alone. God didn’t abandon us during the Holocaust and he hasn’t abandoned us during our final days.”

When you give to our High Holy Days Campaign, you help ensure that Jews in Israel and the former Soviet Union will receive food boxes or food cards that will alleviate their hunger, help them celebrate these holy days in obedience to Scripture, and remind them that they, too, are not abandoned.