Finally going home!

Twenty years ago it was a difficult moment for Workenesh and Ataklit. Saying goodbye to their parents, brothers and sisters. The family made aliyah to Israel and fulfilled the dream they all had been dreaming of for a long time. But the two sisters stayed behind with their husbands and small children. Despite the pain of farewell, and without their mother for the first time in their lives, they were extremely happy for their family and prayed that they too could leave soon. But time passed and their departure didn’t come. The sisters had to make an effort not to despair. They held on to their faith and to each other.n

“Twenty years ago it was a difficult moment for Workenesh and Ataklit. Saying goodbye to their parents, brothers and sisters”

nTough yearsnWithout their mother around they gave birth to their children, raised their children and experienced the happy and the sad moments. In Israel their mother shed many a tear over their grandchildren she never saw. The sisters left their village and moved to the city of Gondar to join the local Jewish community and issue a request for aliyah (leaving for Israel for good). That is why they lived as fugitives in their own country. Their husbands had a difficult time to find work. As soon as word got out that they belonged to the Jewish community, were outsiders and only temporarily here, employers were reluctant to hire them. They were day labourers, often worked more than 12 hours a day and made no more than fifteen euros.n

“A couple of weeks ago Ataklit finally got the final word she had been waiting for for twenty years”

nFinally word arrivednA couple of weeks ago Ataklit finally got the final word she had been waiting for for twenty years. She, her husband and their six children (13 through 23 years of age) were allowed to make aliyah! She was delighted and worried at the same time. How could it be that her prayers had been answered, but not her sister’s prayers? Sister Workenesh put on a happy face for her sister, but at night she cried. After two days, that felt like an eternity, she too got the long-expected message! She, her husband and their nine children (between 5 and 24 years of age) were allowed to come to Israel as well! The family in Israel is impatiently waiting for them. Their mother is counting the days until she can embrace their daughters and grandchildren.nnNew dreamnThe children now have a new dream. After they made aliyah, they want to join the army, to defend their home country. And after that they want to continue studying. “Now that this long-expected dream and prayers have been fulfilled, we believe that our dreams about the future and our prayers are a matter of hard work, faith and time as well.”nnChristians for Israel is taking Ethiopian Jews homenIf everything is going according to plan, an airplane with Jewish men, women and children from Ethiopia will arrive in Israel on June 2. The gifts of all our donors enabled this. Have a look at www.c4israel.org soon to read the report and watch the photographs of this special upcoming aliyah flight.nnHelp the Jews come home!nPlease support our action ‘Bring the Jews Home’. It costs 515 euros or 550 US $ to assist one Ethiopian Jew for making aliyah. nnAny amount is welcome!nnSupport in €nn

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