Rewarded Patience

Recently, senior Nina and her son Leonid finally made their permanent move to Israel. Their departure from Ukraine was preceded by a long and difficult journey. Nina’s daughter Marina had already moved to Israel in March 2022 with her two children. She had worked as the cook at the Jewish school in Vinnytsia. At that time, however, her mother Nina, who suffers from dementia, and her brother Leonid, who has an intellectual disability, did not want to leave Ukraine. In November of last year, Marina contacted us from Israel. Due to the ongoing drone attacks and missile strikes near the area where her mother and brother lived, their situation had deteriorated significantly. She asked whether we could help arrange the necessary travel and emigration documents.

Prolonged Stay
In December 2025, we accompanied Nina and Leonid to the Israeli consulate in Kishenov, Moldova. During the interview, it became clear that additional documentation was still required. Since our regular lodging in Kishenov is intended only for very short stays before departure to Israel, a solution had to be found for Nina and Leonid.

It was unclear how long it would take before all the paperwork would be in order, and returning to Ukraine in the meantime was, at Marina’s explicit request, not an option. Fortunately, one of the local rabbis offered a solution. He manages a centre with several guest rooms for olim whose emigration process takes longer than expected. Nina and Leonid were welcome to stay there until their departure to Israel, however long that might take. He even arranged the necessary home care for them.

A New Homeland
At the end of July, the long-awaited moment finally arrived. Marina travelled from Israel to accompany her mother and brother on their journey to Israel. Tired but grateful, they set out for the adventure of a new homeland after seven long months of waiting. Later, Marina wrote a letter of thanks to the rabbi who had cared so well for her mother and brother: “I would like to thank you for everything you have done for my family. It has been a long road, and without your patience, love, and care, it would not have been possible. You also made me feel as though I was part of your family. Apart from my children, mother, and brother, I have no close relatives, but in you I have found a family.”

“See, I will bring them from the land of the north and gather them from the ends of the earth. Among them will be the blind and the lame, expectant mothers and women in labour; a great throng will return.” Jeremia 31:8.

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