From the Four Corners of the Earth – Part 2
Fear not for I am with you; from the east I will bring your seed, and from the west I will gather you. I will say to the north, “Give,” and to the south, “Do not refrain”; bring My sons from afar and My daughters from the end of the earth.” Isaiah 43:5-6
From the Four Corners of the Earth
The second part of the article about olim “From the Four Corners of the Earth” is dedicated to two families, namely from France and Ukraine.
Gerome Joseph Cecil Baranes (38) with his wife Jennifer Myriam Yvonne Assued-Baraness (39) and two kids Talia Judith (3) and Simon Isaac (2) made aliyah from France to the religious kibbutz Sde Eliyahu in September 2020.
Gerome Joseph Cecil Baranes with his wife Jennifer Myriam Yvonne Assued-Baraness | Photo: JAFI
“It was during the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic and the world was preparing to go under lockdown as a preventive measure, so was France, and we locked in on our collective decision of making aliya. Although both of us have families in Israel, we wanted to start our new journey in the Holy Land on our own. We wanted to be independent from the very beginning and we were adamantly sure of starting this new life on a religious Kibbutz” – recalls Gerome.
“The kibbutz is an amazing place; we feel completely at home and so do the kids”
“Why a kibbutz? My mother would narrate stories of her time in the kibbutz and would speak of very fond memories. It captivated me as a child and I always wanted to and dreamt of some day living that beautiful life I pictured as a child, so when the time was right and the opportunity came knocking on our door, we grabbed it with both hands” -Says Jennifer. “The kibbutz is an amazing place; we feel completely at home and so do the kids. This would not be possible without the wonderful souls that inhabit the kibbutz and influence our lives in such a wonderful way. It’s like living as one huge family. Considering it is a religious Kibbutz, we have a Synagogue and we live among religious families, further strengthening our religious foundation and learning about its history and heritage”.
Yuri (36) with his wife Anna Kravchuk (33) and two kids Angelina (12) and Mihail (2) made aliyah from Ukraine to the kibbutz Merkhavia in October 2020. He is a surgeon, she is a paediatrician.
The Kravchuk family | Photo: JAFI
“The guardian of traditions in our family was the grandmother on the father’s side. Her house always smelled like food. I remember how we gathered as a big family and celebrated all the Jewish holidays” – says Anna. “My grandmother dreamt of living in Israel and five years ago, before she passed away, she blessed our move. It was very important for me to receive her blessing”.
“We have been filled with a lot of warmth and love from the first day of our arrival here, and we are grateful for everyone”
Angelina and Mihail | Photo: JAFI
“We are happy that we have chosen this program. We have been filled with a lot of warmth and love from the first day of our arrival here, and we are grateful for everyone. As far as learning the Hebrew language goes, we know that it will be difficult, and we will have to pass many exams and learn a lot, but we believe that we will succeed”- says Yuri.
We hope to welcome more Jews in the near future to their new Home in the Home Land. Thanks to the practical help of Christians for Israel, for many olim this dream will come true.
Please support the “First Home in the Homeland” Project. Any amount is welcome!
Assisting a family in the “First Home” program costs € 230 euro / US $ 250 a month.
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