A Happy Passover
IFCJ Canada | April 17, 2025
Born in a small village in Uzbekistan, in the former Soviet Union (FSU), Bitya remembers celebrating her faith even under Soviet rule.
“I was born into a traditional Jewish family. Judaism has always been a central part of my life. Even during the years of Soviet rule, my family managed to maintain a religious Jewish lifestyle.”
When she married her husband, it was always their dream to one day live in the Holy Land—a dream that finally came true.
“I only wanted to live in Jerusalem; for me, it is the holiest place on earth.”
Sadly, her husband passed away just five years after they arrived in the Jewish homeland. Today, Bitya lives outside of Jerusalem, closer to her children.
She is one of the many elderly who rely on The Fellowship to have enough food, especially during Passover.
“I live very modestly. All my life I have been content with a little bit,” explains Bitya. “For more than ten years, I have been coming to Yad B’Yad to receive food packages for Rosh Hashanah and Passover. Thanks to these food packages, I will have food for the whole holiday. I thank The Fellowship for this holiday gift.”
And now, with crisis in Israel, Bitya treasures any moment of happiness she can find. She says it best:
“We are all going through difficult times in Israel, but The Fellowship has managed to make me happy. Thanks to The Fellowship and its donors, I—and thousands of other elderly people like me—will have a happy Passover.”