An increasing number of Jewish people are making aliyah from America. Three young families helped by Ebenezer tell why they decided to leave comfortable lives in a prosperous nation to ‘return’ to Israel:

‘Building a home in Israel has been a part of my long-term plan for as long as I can remember,’ said Jason. ‘The idea came out of the blue around my fourth birthday. I spent the next few years fairly insistent that we needed to go. We didn’t – but the desire never went away. It seemed that all my choices were made with an ultimate goal in mind: Will this school teach me enough Hebrew? Will this career make sense when I move? Will this woman I am dating be willing to go?

‘But there is always a major reason not to make a major life change like this one. It was never the “right time”. We woke up and realised we needed to get moving. Although we saved for this move, the new surcharges hit us harder than we ever thought possible. We are tremendously appreciative of Ebenezer’s assistance. With God’s help we will start building our new home in Israel.’   Jason, Rachel and little Channah made aliyah in August 2008.

The Jewish Agency representative in Boston recommended Ebenezer to Anton and Naomi. Anton related that he ‘grew up in Moscow with very little sense of Jewish identity’. His parents were protective against exposing him to politically dangerous topics. ‘From childhood I wanted to learn more about Israel, Judaism, the Holocaust and anti-Semitism, but after memorising by heart all articles in the Great Soviet Encyclopaedia about Jews (there weren’t many), I was stuck.

‘At 22 I bumped into a group of refuseniks [dissident Jews in the then USSR, especially those refused permission to emigrate] and studied Hebrew and the Torah with this underground group. I planned to make aliyah as soon as possible. But in 1989 I was accepted on a PhD course and came to the USA on a student visa. All through these years in the United States I kept dreaming about life in Israel.

‘In 2006 Naomi and I got married and nine months later our son, Elisha Yehuda, was born. We are expecting our second child and want to raise our family in Israel. The time to move is now. We are prepared to make sacrifices. Help from Ebenezer will allow us to move, so all of us (God willing) can make Israel our permanent home. Thank you so much for your great work!’

Anton made aliyah in September 2008, joining Naomi and Elisha who were already in Israel.