Escaped from Mariupol’s hell to Israel! – Entangled in war three times

Mikhail and his wife Yelena had their own business in Mariupol. They made headstones for graves to commemorate those who had passed away. Six months before the war broke out, Mikhail carried out a big charitable project in the community to restore an abandoned grave in the city’s Jewish cemetery. The family faced war for the first time many years ago, like all Mariupol residents. In 2014, armed invaders ran past Mikhail’s workshop located in the old part of the city. Shots and screams were heard everywhere.

Mikhail and Yelena making aliyah from Mariupol | Photo: Christians for Israel

A few years later, in 2022, the nightmare was repeated and the horror of it was much worse. The city of Mariupol was burning. It was a war of which nobody could have imagined the scale and consequences! Mikhail and his wife had to leave their home behind and their so much-loved Mariupol with two plastic bags in which they packed their whole life. Christians for Israel (C4I) went out of its way to make their journey to Israel as smooth and comfortable as possible.

“Mikhail and his wife had to leave behind their home and their so much-loved Mariupol with two plastic bags in which they packed their whole life”

In Israel they settled in the city of Nahariya, in the northern part of the country, not far from the Lebanese border.

A year later, in February 2023, C4I helped Valeriya (Mikhail and Yelena’s daughter-in-law) and her dear three-months-old baby Sofia, to make aliyah!

Mikhail and Yelena with their daughter-in-law Valeriya and baby Sofia | Photo: Christians for Israel

Mikhail, whose business was destroyed in Mariupol, did not give up after he moved to Israel. He succeeded in passing special driving courses to get a license for driving a big truck and immediately got a job at a large factory up north, one hour from his home. His wife stayed home to run the household and take care of her little granddaughter while Valeriya attended Ulpan (school to learn the Hebrew language). Valeriya’s husband cannot leave Ukraine during the war due to the age restrictions for men imposed by the military law in the country, but they hope he will be allowed to join them later, when the war is over. Life began to settle and improve. Valeriya really liked blooming Israel and was happy with the decision to make aliyah. Mikhail and Yelena gradually came back to normal life after everything they had to experience in Mariupol. There was no need to keep their suitcases ready packed with emergency supplies in case they had to run from danger. Loud sounds did not scare them anymore. After some time, Mikhail suggested to move from Nahariya further north, closer to the border. Housing was much cheaper there and it was closer to his work. The rest of the family was not ready for this move. Fortunately…

“The early morning news on October 7th about the war in Israel shocked them!”

The early morning news on October 7th about the war in Israel shocked them! Mikhail and Yelena were in Nahariya when the war began. Yelena was seized with terrible panic, to go through this nightmare for the third time was very difficult for her. Mikhail reacted to the situation more cold-bloodedly. They didn’t have an emergency room in the house, but they could find one close to their home, in a nearby shop, the shop owner did not mind if they would come there to hide. Mikhail and Yelena put together essential things and documents and placed their bags at the entrance of their house in the case of an emergency.

A few days ago, Mikhail started working again and returned to the factory. Yelena finds it hard to be by herself, she is very anxious because the factory where Mikhail works is only 11 kilometres from the border. She suffers from severe panic attacks. They pray that this nightmare will end soon.

Many of the families who recently made Aliyah to Israel live in the north and south of Israel and had to be evacuated because of the war that started on October 7th. You can support these olim (the people who recently made Aliyah) through our emergency campaign. We help the families evacuate to safe areas in Israel and provide accommodation and emergency care.