By: Anastasiya Gooding

Since its founding in 1980, the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem has assisted more than 160,000 Jews to make the journey home to Israel. This journey of ‘Aliyah’ begins long before a Jewish family boards a plane for Tel Aviv. New immigrants to Israel usually go through months and even years of preparation to make the move to the Promised Land. And for several decades now the ICEJ has been actively assisting thousands of Jewish people with the pre-Aliyah process. This often includes sponsoring Aliyah fairs and seminars, such as the recent Aliyah weekends we helped host in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and the Baltic States, among other countries.

The Christian Embassy has teamed up with the Jewish Agency in new and innovative ways to facilitate the continuing Aliyah from the former Soviet republics, according to Howard Flower, the ICEJ’s Director of Aliyah. One initiative is the new “Shabbaton” extended weekend Aliyah seminars. These gatherings provide comprehensive pre-Aliyah processing to alleviate concerns, answer questions, and educate participants using trained counsellors. Some attendees are young family members who move to Israel ahead of their parents and must be ready to live alone here until the rest of the family arrives.

Another innovative program introduced just last year is the OFEK 300 hour ulpan and job placement program. After being approved for immigration to Israel, participants begin an intensive Hebrew language course that features a 300-hour concentrated online study program and job search coaching, which also explores possibly working remotely from Israel for companies in their country of origin. The students graduate with a level of proficiency that allows them to immediately start working in Israel. They also can continue their language lessons for six months as part of their absorption basket once they arrive in Israel.

Flower says the Christian Embassy expects to assist well over 1,000 Jewish people from the former Soviet republics this year in the pre-Aliyah programs, including weekend and summer camps, preparation seminars, Hebrew lessons, travel to consular services for immigration visas, transport to the airports, and extra baggage on flights.

The Aliyah weekend seminars are especially effective tools to prepare Jewish people for one of the most significant decisions of their lives. During the three-day seminars, the focus is on real life discussions and lectures about Israel, the economy, job market, education and health systems, absorption programs and much more. At the seminars, participants receive personal attention from JAFI representatives who are Israelis themselves. The needs of every individual are addressed, making sure that everyone receives the information and advice they require for a successful Aliyah.

So what exactly is a Shabbaton? This is an extended Shabbat retreat from Friday through Sunday. ICEJ and the Jewish Agency seek to make these retreats restful yet encouraging and motivating. The weekends include a Shabbat celebration in a warm, friendly atmosphere to create a welcoming environment for all. Good food and fellowship encourage new friendships which continue to grow once they are in Israel. In fact, at least five marriages have resulted from young adults meeting each other at our recent seminars.

The most recent ICEJ-sponsored Aliyah weekend took place in Minsk. A welcome message from ICEJ President Dr. Jürgen Bühler was read at the opening, saying: “I wish you a very pleasant weekend and hope all your questions will be answered while you enjoy a nice rest in this pleasant venue. I wanted to let you know that it is our pleasure and honor to help with the expenses for this important event arranged for you by the Jewish Agency.”

Among the 63 participants at this Aliyah weekend was the Makarov family. The father, Vadim, was grateful for all his family experienced.

“Thanks to your passion, active financial participation, and sponsorship of various events in the Jewish world, you provide an opportunity for us to meet, communicate and learn more about the traditions and history of Israel”, he said. “While participating in the family seminar, we learned a lot of useful information that will be very helpful for us during repatriation.”

So please consider partnering with the ICEJ to sponsor an Aliyah weekend retreat, which will help launch Jewish families on their exciting journey to Israel – their ancestral homeland.