Surviving a Life Under Constant Attack
“Oleksi and Ganna knew they needed to flee from the immediate conflict in Donetsk, Ukraine. So when the fighting caught up with them…”
When hostilities began in Donetsk, Ukraine, Oleksi and Ganna decided to take their children to a quiet village away from the immediate conflict.
Then the conflict spread, and the family found themselves right in the middle of fighting between the Ukrainian army and the rebels. Explosions and gunfire circled around them.
“We didn’t have a basement in our house, so a table seemed to be the only shelter I could think of,” Ganna says. “My son Yehor understood the table wasn't going to save us, so we went outside to search for a basement somewhere.”
Finally, at the end of 2014, the family was able to move out of the village. “The Ukrainian army repaired the bridge so the cars could drive again,” says Ganna. “We moved to Kiev where we lived in a refugee centre.”
Just as the family tried to come to terms with the fact that they were refugees in their own country, Ganna heard about the Freedom Flights provided by The Fellowship. The family attended a First Steps Seminar, which explains The Fellowship’s aliyah (immigration to Israel) process to potential new olim (immigrants). Afterwards, the family decided to make aliyah with The Fellowship On Wings of Eagles.
In Israel, Ganna knows her children will have great opportunities in education: “Yehor wants to learn Hebrew and then apply to university.”
They also cannot wait to celebrate the Jewish holidays in the Holy Land: “Of all of the holidays,” says Oleksi, “we love Purim and Passover the most. We can't wait until next year when we'll be able to celebrate Purim in our new homeland!”
On Wings of Eagles supporters, like you, help Ukrainian families, like Ganna’s, find a new life full of hope in Israel. Please bless families struggling to survive in war-torn Ukraine today by helping them make aliyah with The Fellowship.
Your prayers are needed for other families desperate to escape the constant fighting in Ukraine. Please send your prayers for Israel’s people, as well as for your personal needs, by submitting your prayer request today at ifcj.ca/myprayer.
