Aliyah from Paris (1)

By Rachel Poot.. It’s raining cats and dogs. Or as they say in French: il pleut comme une vache qui pisse. I won’t give you the literal translation, but it gives you a good picture of what I can see from my window in Paris.

It is now the second of six weeks in which I’m joining the organisation Ebenezer Operation Exodus. This is the organisation you might know from the project ‘Bring the Jews Home’ in Ukraine. Christians for Israel and Ebenezer have a long-standing partnership and together they have assisted many Jewish families in their return to Israel (aliyah) from various parts of the world. Ebenezer now has branches in over fifty countries and they opened an office in Paris in February 2016.

Come rain or shine...

An answer to prayer as Ebenezer calls it, because the requests from French Jewish families from Paris who want to emigrate are pouring in. The emigration process itself is led by the Jewish ‘Agence Juive’, the Jewish Agency in Paris. Ebenezer is reponsible for taking care of the more practical matters of moving.

This past week we visited a number of families in different parts of the city. The areas, as well as the families, are all very different. Some areas are dangerous and need constant protection, other areas are much quieter and only need security for Jewish establishments.
Some families are well off financially and just need that little mental push, other families are financially very tight and are dependent on our help to be able to make aliyah.

French New Immigrants Departing from Paris for Israel. (photo credit: Flickr/The Jewish Agency For Israel). Over 200 French Jews made aliyah in July 2015.

What makes the organisation in Paris very special, is that they are fully based on prayer. They believe that the idea of aliyah is God’s work and not theirs, and that is why they pray for every decision that needs to be made. They pray for the conversations to go well, but also for wisdom in how to divide money among the families.

Prayer is something that is really needed in these circumstances. The work that Ebenezer does, is not only becoming more essential, but it is also an increasingly sensitive issue. Prayer is needed to make the right decisions, for a safe aliyah, and for protection of the team. It is an inspiring environment to be a part of for a few weeks and I am curious about what will come my way in the next five weeks.

Rachel Poot studied French and finished her master's degree in Cultural History on anti-Semitism in France in the 19th century. On behalf of Christians for Israel she travels to Paris to assist the aliyah work in France.

France
For many Jews in France the decision to go to Israel very difficult. The Jewish Agency For Israel (JAFI) is paying for the airline tickets. However, if they want to go to Israel they have to pay for their luggage. On top of that their belongings have to shipped to Israel by container. But how can you afford that if you do not have any savings? And how do you sell any of these belongings for a fair price if people know that you are about to move? In cooperation Ebenezer Operation Exodus, Christians for Israel assists the French Jews. We visit the people, listens to their needs and helps them to move. The costs to help one person are € 400 euros or US$ 430.Please support the Aliyah work in France. Any amount is welcome!

Please support the Aliyah work in France. Any amount is welcome!

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