Many friends from Europe came to visit “First Home in The Homeland” in Israel

May is very hot in Israel! Not only because of Hamsin winds coming from the desert but also because of olim coming to the “First Home in the Homeland” project and Christians for Israel supporters coming from all over the world to support Jews in the Holy Land. Please follow this short report and maybe some of you will recognize him/herself on the pictures below and recall a day in the kibbutz. Or maybe if you are going to be in Israel soon it might give you the idea to visit the "First Home in the Homeland" project.

On the 5th of May the director of “First Home in The Homeland” Elena Kovarsky met with a group from the Netherlands and Belgium in Jerusalem. The meeting was organized by Els van Canegem.

At the same day Henk and Areanne van der Naald from Grijpskerk, Netherlands, visited kibbutz Ein Hashofet near Yokneam. Henk got to know the First Home project during the Christians for Israel Family Day in Drachten and he decided to learn about it "from within". They had a tour through the kibbutz with a legendary volunteer named Eitan Ram that already welcomes newcomers for the past twenty-five years. They visited olim on their working places and also got to know what an ulpan is and how it functions. An experienced teacher explained them all the details of successfully acquiring Hebrew skills.

Geert-Jan and Jessica van der Spek, a couple from Rotterdam, came to Mashabey Sade (kibbutz in the South) with Shalom-cards and warm greetings to olim.

Lex and Tjitske Wind visited kibbutz Afikim in the Jordan Valley. After his active participation in the Aliya work in Ukraine Lex visited Jewish newcomers in their new home. An olim family with three children that came from Kiev a couple of months ago shared their story with Lex and his wife.

Jakov and Carla Bouterse with their relatives Gert and Hanneke Bouterse got to know about First Home in 2014 during the Christians for Israel meeting in Nieuw-Lekkerland. Since then they wanted to have more contact with participants and the team of the project. Now this connection with the First Home can be called friendship!

The ladies-group from Austria and Germany lead by Marie-Louise Weissenböck (Christains for Israel Austria) was on a tour called "Power Women in Israel". The group learned about "First Home in the Homeland" on the 19th of May. Some of the ladies participated in the Aliya-meetings in April 2016 in Vienna and Bad Ishl. Now they have plans for the near future to visit different kibbutzim all over Israel. We'll stay in touch!

A Dutch group of Israel Idoed Reizen visited Mashabey Sade. They had a nice walk around, many of them were for the first time in a kibbutz and heard about aliya and the First Home project. They climbed the water tower, enjoyed the morning view of the green kibbutz and the surrounding Negev desert.

The group from Amersfoort lead by Rita Quartel (Christians for Israel International) stayed overnight in Mashabey Sade. After two years of planning, this trip to Israel came true for the community from Amersfoort. We're so happy that the First Home project could be a part of their Israeli experience!

Rev Henk Poot visited Mashabey Sade together with a group from the Netherlands. They stayed overnight and had a lecture by Elena Kovarsky about the "First Home in the Homeland" project on the 23rd of May.

On the 30th of May we received Anneriet Luth and Jacqueline de Langue from the organization "Nachamu nachamu ami". They met with a new group of olim that just arrived to Mashabey Sade, visited their apartments and had a walk through the kibbutz.

Thank you for your interest in our program! Hope that "First Home" is now for all our new and old friends an integral part of their Israeli experience.

Orly (Sveta) Volstein - "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!

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