Making Aliyah can be very tough and take a lot of time. Jewish orphans and children from one-parent or low-income families have to face one of the toughest processes of making Aliyah.

Sadly, they are often distracted from the Jewish environment and their roots. They grow up without feeling a part of the Jewish people. These Jewish orphans need to be taught how to love the history and traditions of their true motherland.

Their little hearts need to learn how to cherish their own Promised Land. Then a Jewish orphan or a child from a problem family will see Aliyah as a fair dream that is worth striving for.

...It was the Lord’s will that on March, 21st, 2008, on Friday, Jewish orphan children from Zaporozhye had several holidays at once:

- The 18th birthday of one of the orphans – Sergey S.,
- Purim,
- Sabbath.

And all the holidays on one and the same day!!!

That is why the Friday evening was especially happy. PWC staff did all they could to make this day memorable for the children.

There was a wonderful table in a beautiful and comfortable restaurant hall. As well as the traditional gefilt fish and patties “Aman’s ears” there were various kinds of fruit, sweets and dainties. And of course, wonderful presents were waiting for them!

Before the Sabbath dinner, there was a short greeting speech said by Igor Levenshtein, the President of the fund PWC.

Sergey’s aunt Margarita lit the candles in the menorah and prayed in Hebrew. (Margarita has substituted Sergey’s mother after her death since the first years of his life).

Then there was a holiday dinner. The children, who did not see such delicious food every day, ate it with special pleasure!

But what kind of Purim is it without a Purim spiel? The children improvised in a joking Purim spiel free-heartedly. Their costumes looked as real. Everybody was carried away by the performance. Sergey was Mordehai, Spartak Z. – the King Ahashverosh, Alik A. was a Sentinel, the role of Esther was performed by Valeriya G. Nobody wanted to play the role of a vicious Aman. Igor Levenshtein, the President of the fund, played it. The rest of the guests were the Jewish people and from time to time encouraged the play with their exclamations and applause. The director of the performance was Zinaida S., the constant conductor of all the events we make, our volunteer.

Certainly, after the play, all the children received presents.

And Sergey received also a birthday cake, some money for preparation for his departure to Israel and an album with pictures as a keepsake of the meetings in the PWC office within the two years.

How we celebrated Purim with orphan children from Zaporozhye in March 2009

How we celebrated Pesakh with Jewish children in April 2009