1999. Chechnya is burning. Tens of thousands of refugees run away from the areas of fighting without knowing what their fate will be. Reports of fleeing orphans reach the international press; among them is one Jewish girl. In a complex, life[1]threatening operation, Jewish Agency emissaries locate the girl and bring her and some of her friends out of the danger zone. The girl is Natasha, who grew up in an orphanage in Grozny and was forced to flee the city during the battles, together with her friends. Natasha was brought to Israel and sent to an absorption center. She joined the army as a volunteer, wanting to give back to the country that saved her. She later registered for a preparatory program at Tel Aviv University, where she met her husband, and today the couple is raising a son.
Thanks to the generosity of Keren Hayesod donors, Natasha’s life was saved. She created a new life in Israel. Natasha’s story is not the only moving story. For many years, the Jewish Agency for Israel, with the help of Keren Hayesod donors, has led complex and dangerous clandestine operations to bring Jews to Israel from countries where they are in danger. The principle is clear: no Jew will be left behind. A monumental effort is made to reach places where Jews are in economic or social distress or where their freedom of religion and/or personal safety are endangered. In 2018, 760 Jews in distress were brought to Israel. Another estimated 50,000 Jews around the world are in distress and in need of help. Rescue operations are not always made public, because they are sometimes carried out clandestinely, below the radar of the local governments.
Photo: Natasha, 2017