Project Spotlight: Aliyah

IFCJ Canada  |  May 30, 2025

We are so happy to help families like Maksim and Daryna, along with their two-year-old son, make aliyah (immigrate to Israel) with the help of The Fellowship! When the war in Ukraine started, they didn’t know what to do. But they quickly realized aliyah was the answer.

Daryna explains more about their journey. “We were just living our normal lives,” says Daryna, “expecting a baby, making plans for the future. And then, on February 24, 2022, at 5 am, everything changed. We woke up to explosions. The first thing we did was check the internet…and that was it: war. I was seven months pregnant. We were in shock. We were scared. We didn’t know what to do or where to go.”

Things got worse. After the couple had the new baby, the stress of war started affecting the health of the new mother and baby. “I tried to nurse my son as long as I could, but it didn’t last,” says Daryna. “Due to the stress and poor nutrition, my milk dried up. We had to switch to formula, and that turned into a whole mission. My husband was running all over the city trying to find it. He was waiting in lines, calling friends, and doing anything possible to find some.” It was a very terrifying time.

And as things kept getting worse, finally the couple knew they needed to make a change, and they contacted The Fellowship. “Honestly, that’s when the most hopeful, lucky chapter of our lives began,” says Daryna.

After always dreaming of one day making aliyah and living in Israel, the new family feels excited to start this new chapter. “Thank you for helping us make aliyah and start a new and better life in our historical homeland Israel!” adds Daryna.