In which God do you believe, granny?

"Don't tell anyone that you're Jewish" – Evgenia’s grandmother repeated over and over again. The old lady that went through pogroms and the Holocaust didn't want her grandchild to suffer so she chose the tactic of silence. "I remember my granny praying. She never told me anything about it, her lips were moving, her look was directed inwards. Once I asked her – in which G-d do you believe, granny? In the Jewish G-d, she answered quietly".

Evgenia Pisman is 39 years old, she was born in Kamchatka Peninsula, (Far East of Russia), then moved to Ukraine, and then worked as an agent all over the world. Two and a half years ago Evgenia became a mother of a wonderful girl, Nina. It was a moment when her thoughts and dreams turned to Israel. "When you live alone, you're not very strategic about your future, but when you're responsible for someone, you try to make a right step".

Evgenia and Nina

When Evgenia became 16 years of age, she received her passport, as every citizen of Russia, but with a so-called "fifth line". After her name, date and place of birth it was mentioned: “Jewish”. Already the next year Evgenia went to Jerusalem with the Na'ale program. Her mother wanted her to stay in Israel, but by that time Evgenia was not ready for it and after spending one year in Israel she went back to Russia.

"At that point of time it was a decision of my mum, not mine. Now when I made up my mind for this step, I can still make this choice also for my daughter, Nina. She is still small and takes it naturally. I want her to grow with a feeling of belonging to Israel." "I travelled through forty countries in my life, but when I faced a choice – where I want to live – the only option for me was Israel. Because I'm Jewish and for us it's the only place we can call home."

Evgenia started preparations for her aliyah in June 2016. It's not easy for a single mother to settle down with such a small child, that's why Evgenia chose First Home in the Homeland. In November 2016 she arrived at the kibbutz Mashabey Sade. Nina went to the first kindergarten in her life. It took her two weeks to get used to the system and then her mother could start a Hebrew course. Now they are two months in their First Home in the Homeland, full of hopes and plans for their happy Israeli future. After exploring the world, Evgenia chose to come home.

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

Please support the First Home in the Homeland - Project. Any amount is welcome!
Assisting a family in the "First Home" program costs € 230 euro / US $ 250 a month.

*Donate in €*	*Donate in US $*

More news...