Speaking Tour in Austria and the Netherlands – Impressions of an Israeli participant and friend

My grandmother always told me "that the last Jews going to Israel will fly standing in the plane, as there will be no space to sit". So it was always clear to me that one day I will move to Israel, but I could never imagine myself being involved in bringing home other Jews. Now I work in the Jewish Agency helping Jews who make aliyah to Israel.

In the beginning of April 2016, I took part in Christians for Israel’s "Family Days" in Ede and Katwijk in The Netherlands. Between these big events we also had some meetings in Austria and a lecture in Nijkerk. Together with the project "Bring the Jews Home,” we explained to the participants about the life of Jews in exile (we call it in Hebrew "Galut"), about difficulties on their way Home and about our project "First Home in The Homeland". This program helps Jews in the Holy Land to find a warm home in kibbutzim all over Israel. Some 4 years ago I also arrived in Israel with the same program into one of the kibbutzim in the South of Israel, in the Negev Desert.

"I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back to your own land… I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you…" (Ezekiel 36:24)

Our nation is always under critical view of the world. Every single person that is on the side of Israel in these tough days is so precious for us. It was so special, so touching for me to see hundreds of people who love Israel and have a heart for us. "Whose delight is in the law of the Lord" (Psalm 1).

Every meeting in The Netherlands and in Austria was full of positive energy as if I got a strong hug from good friends. Hope I will be able to transfer this warmth to the olim - new Israelis that just arrived to the Holy Land from different countries and start their lives from the very beginning.

Now I'm back home in Israel, to the "First Home in the Homeland" project. A part of the aliyah team is back in Ukraine, to help the refugees, "shelter" them and bring more Jews home to Israel. Where we help them to build their lives in the Holy Land, in their "First Home". Please come to visit us and learn more about aliyah from a Biblical view and what it means in practice in one of the 44 kibbutzim all over Israel!

Thank you for this wonderful chance to experience your love and support to us!

Orly (Sveta) Wolstein
'First Home in the Homeland'
Projectmanager Jewish Agency for Israel

There is a long waiting list for the 'First Home in Homeland' program of more than 80 Jewish families from the Former Soviet Union. Also Jews from France have indicated that they want to join this program. Assisting a family in the "First Home" program costs € 230 euro / US $ 250 a month.

Please support this 'First Home' program and help the people settle in the land of Israel! Any amount is welcome!

Donate in €	Donate in US $

Please have a look at the impressions from Christians for Israel's "Family Days" in Ede and Katwijk, the lecture in Nijkerk in The Netherlands and the meetings in Freistadt, Vienna and Bad Ischl in Austria below.

Ede (Netherlands)

Ede (Netherlands): Many interested people in our workshop.

From the hot Negev desert to green Holland. Excitement of the first meeting. Very warm welcome in Holland. Many families with children. Israeli and Dutch children easily find a common language to play together. Soulful musical worship and great klezmer music.

Freistadt (Austria) - Splendid views of the old Freistadt.

First meeting in Austria. Special atmosphere from the very beginning. Spontaneous speech in front of Rumanian Christian community that listened very attentively. And after the main meeting in Freistadt I was impressed how empathic people were to my personal story, that of a third generation of Holocaust survivors. Tears and sincere confessions. Warm hugs.

Vienna (Austria)

Jewish and Christian sides of old Vienna. Wonderful supportive team of C4I Austria led by Marie-Louise Weissenböck. Meeting with the key-group from different streams and churches. The meeting was recorded by Christian channel in Austria.

Bad Ischl (Austria)

Bad Ischl (Austria) - Beautiful musical worship of the pastor.

Meeting in the Baptist Church of Bad Ischl. Congregation that already had some knowledge about Jewish life in Ukraine, Aliya process and Israel. Marvelous Austrian nature.

Nijkerk (The Netherlands) (No photographs available)
Lecture within the educational course of Christians for Israel. Very involved and supportive listeners. Many of them are already an integral part of work of Christians of Israel, they went already with the food parcels to Ukraine and to cheer up new olim in Israel. The lecture was recorded to the channel of C4I.

Katwijk (The Netherlands) - Israeli flag on the top of big church of Katwijk. Unbelievable!

Katwijk (The Netherlands) - Orly Wolstein (left), Second (and last) family day in Katwijk.

The biggest surprise of the family days – family Van Canegem from Belgium that came with four kids (!) to Katwijk to meet us. Such a great present, such a big surprise! (No photograph available) We met two years ago during our spontaneous lecture in Bruges and stayed in touch all this time. One can never know which means Lord will use to show us his grace!

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