C4I Leadership Forum in Israel and update aliyah work in the Ukraine

By Koen Carlier.. We had our brief bi-annual C4I Leadership Forum in Jerusalem from May 6 through May 9, 2015. With Christians for Israel representatives from different countries. The aim was to give an update of what is taking place in the countries, Bible teaching and prayer. While in Jerusalem we traveled throughout the country to visit different projects. It was special when "Why Jerusalem?" written by Rev Willem J.J. Glashouwer and recently printed in English, was presented to all the participants after his impassioned Bible study about the Covenants with Israel.

Now this book, too, is ready to be translated into many other languages. A visit to Aleh, in the Negev Desert where young children with a severe handicap are being taken care of lovingly, made a deep impression on the participants. A lot of volunteers from all over the world work there, Dutch volunteers too of course.

The situation in the Ukraine, naturally, received a lot of attention, as did the work involving the Jewish refugees and the Project Bring the Jews Home! Both Nataliya (our Aliyah field worker responsible for the shelter close to Kiev) and I had ample time to share our stories, give an update of what our work involves and, finally, showing many photographs!

Zjenia thanks us at the forum after immigration to Israel with the help of Christians for Israel, one month ago.
Top: Koen Carlier and Nataliya Krizhanovski. Photo: John Henry.

On the left Nataliya our aliyahfieldworker and Zjenia who fled from the East of Ukraine staying in our
shelter now lives in Israel.

We were surprised when, later, young Zjenia told his story. He fled from the East to our ‘hiding place’ at the beginning of March and, eventually, left in mid-April once his visa and other documents had been finalized! He thanked Christians for Israel for sheltering him and arranging his departure within a short period of time.

A lecture during the forum in Jerusalem

A lot of things happened during the past two years, and our work has expanded. The 15 people, and seven minibuses we now have in the Ukraine, are by no means a luxury. Our new chauffeur, who has been collecting and transporting olim to the airport in Kharkov since January 2015, is pleased that he is able to render practical assistance in association with the Jewish Agency.

Picture from olim emailed from our driver based in theEast of Ukraine in the city of Kharkov!

Another picture from olim emailed from our driver based in theEast of Ukraine in the city of Kharkov!

We are often asked: ‘What happens once the Jews arrive in Israel?’ Well, a detailed explanation of the integration project was given by Elena Kovarsky, who is responsible for the integration program ‘First Home in the Homeland’. Seven of the immigrants told us what it’s like to live in Israel now. They follow an intense language study at one of the 42 participating kibbutzim over a period of five months. Thereafter, they have to find their own niche within Israeli society.

Kibbutz Mashabei where olim-new immigrants can study Hebrew for 5 months

A Jewish couple, who fled the eastern city of Lugansk with their 4 year old son Daniel, have been residing in kibbutz Revivim for the past six months. The man now works as an electrician and his wife is following some training.

Kibbutz Mashabei where olim-new immigrants can study for 5 months Hebrew

A young couple just arrived from Odessa in Israel and will now 5 months study Hebrew

Elena Kovarsky explain about the intergration programm "First Home in the Homeland"

The present situation in the Ukraine.
I’m back in the Ukraine now. During the past week two buses carrying Jews who wish to make Aliyah, arrived in Dnepropetrovsk from the south-eastern port city of Mariupol. There are, presently, four refugees in our hiding place in Kiev, and on Monday, May 18th, five more will arrive from Lugansk and Donetsk. 35 refugees in Dnepropetrovsk are currently awaiting permanent departure to Israel. We have two planned trips to the embassy and one to the airport next week, and we will return to the East, where we will visit Jewish people and many refugees who do not yet know what to do. The war in the East still continues. Since the February 15th ceasefire, another 82 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed.

Nataliya our aliyahfieldworker speaks to Vita that we helped now working in Kibbutz Mashabei

New immigrants on their way back from the Embassy with their just received visa

We continue tirelessly with our work, knowing that we are supported by your prayers. It is rather special to read Jeremiah 16:14-16 in these times. Especially when we are allowed to read it when visiting the Jews in the East!

Please support aliyah for Jewish refugees from the East of Ukraine to Israel. (any amount is welcome).

Christians for Israel has set up a special fund to help Jewish people to prepare themselves to make aliyah (emigrate to Israel).

With your donation (any amount is welcome) we will:
Provide transportation to the Israeli Embassy and airports. More and more people want to prepare their documents in order to be ready to leave the Ukraine and go to Israel. Because of the long distances that people have to travel to reach the embassy in their district, Christians for Israel will facilitate their transportation by renting small and big busses to drive groups from the same area to the Israeli embassy in their region. Once they get green light and all is ready we drive them to the airport for their one way flight to Israel. The average cost of 1 person is € 135 / US $ 150

Provide shelter/accommodation for Jewish refugees.
Refugees stay between 2 up to 6 weeks in different 'shelters' all over the Ukraine. Christian aliyah organisations pays for their accommodation until the moment they will make aliyah. The average costs to accommodate 1 refugee between 2 and 6 weeks is € 300 / US $ 325

Pay for travel documents.
There are many poor families/elderly people and refugees. For those people that do not have money to pay for their paperwork and passport we will pay the costs of issuing these documents. They need these official documents in order to receive their visa for Israel. Total average amount per person: € 200 / US $ 225.

Supply food parcels.
We pack and distribute thousands of foodparcels for poor Jewish families and refugees all over the Ukraine. This is really a great help especially in these uncertain times. One food parcel cost € 10 / US $ 12

Train more 'fishermen' for our Aliyah team.
We would like to train more people to visit Jews in remote places, and help them if necessary.

Organize Aliyah Seminars.
We plan to have 19 one-day seminars together with the Jewish Agency. These seminars are always very effective, and people can get all the information they need about making Aliyah. The first seminar will take place in April and the last one in October.

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