 How to pick an orphan out of a hell?
Artur was just lucky that in 2005, we discovered him after a long search, and he was taken into the program of supporting Jewish orphan children.
In Ukraine, his future could have been no way bright. Artur’s father was a repeated criminal, often imprisoned; an alcohol and drug addict, suffering from tuberculosis, died in 2007. Artur’s mother joined him in his deadly habits. She quit studying at a university, got addicted to drugs and once just stepped out of the 7th floor window.
It happened when Artur was only 7. As a result, he had an incredibly powerful stress, and then – stuttering, insularity, offishness. This is what he looked like when we discovered him for our program.
At the moment, Artur’s father was just imprisoned, deprived of parental rights, and Artur was guarded by his paternal grandmother Olga, either an alcoholic. When the boy was 12 or 13 his father and grandmother spent all their incomes on drinking. Artur lived in their neglected filthy flat
and witnessed their drinking. At nights he used to lie sleepless listening to drunken voices of his relatives and their companions. It oppressed the boy greatly, and he was doing worse at school.
All the events organized by the rehabilitation program for orphan children preparing for departure to Israel Artur attended together with his maternal grandmother Mariya. She took an active part in preparation of the child for repatriation.
Mariya survived a tragedy too, when her daughter died, and she was willing to save Artur from the dreads awaiting him in so close future.
The orphan’s Jewish identity
When Artur became a part of our program he knew nothing about his Jewishness, Israel, Jewish traditions, culture and religion. Artur’s great-grandparents were Jewish. They were not alive then and it was our task to raise in the orphan’s heart the love for his Jewish roots, for the Promised Land, and make him want to return home, to Israel.
It is thanks to donors of the program that we were able to organize jolly holidays for our Jewish orphans: Purim, Pesakh, Chanukah, Rosh-ha-Shana and also celebrate their birthdays.
Through the two years before his departure to Israel, Artur and other orphans gladly attended all the festivities.
Here is Artur having first presents for his birthday.
And how glad he was to take part in the jolly masquerade which Jewish people traditionally have for Purim! (masquerade garments were as well paid for by donors)
A great play made by the theatre troupe especially for the orphans told the children the whole story of the holiday.
 
And for Chanukah the children received special Chanukah geld
One of the most pleasant moments for the orphan children was the moment of joining the Jewish life through the Jewish cuisine. Cooked with love and fairly fashioned, the dishes not only pleased the orphans’ eyes but also executed their direct function – to feed the poor children. What they could not eat at the festive table, they took home and had some more holiday at home.
 
We also tried to have some clothes and footwear, and toys for children, they needed it so much.
This is how, having a great time, children learned the history of their people, traditions and the family which waited for them – Israel. They had a desire to live in Israel, so distant and so attractive.
Preparation for departure
Learning history and traditions of the historical motherland resulted in a good way. Artur was better at school, got interested in football, and became more active and sociable.
Our task was to get the boy out of the hell he lived in, and the boy himself was already full of desire to leave for Israel. It was his window into another life.
It is not so easy to make such a dream come true for an orphan. It is not easy to gather all the papers to have a right to repatriate or just to study at a local Jewish school. The rabbi did not want to accept Artur because he could not confirm his Jewishness with papers.
We did our best to find in the state archive these papers confirming that Artur’s great-grandparents were Jewish. Without these papers Artur could not leave for Israel. However, the state archive was not allowed to give such papers to natural persons, only notary could have them for us, yet with no right to pass such papers onto natural persons. The Embassy of Israel did not accept any copied documents, and we got in some enchanted circle. We had to try and buy the papers from the notary. Artur was happy to receive the papers.
Another step was waiting for us – testing in the Embassy of Israel. Artur had an appointment with the First Secretary of the Embassy Feliks Mindel. Artur was to arrive at Kiev with his guardian. Right before the interview at the Embassy Artur’s guardian granny had a drinking bout. The appointment could no way be shifted, and the granny could get well no earlier than in a week. Another granny Mariya was at that time in a hospital. If Artur had not passed the testing with the Secretary at the appointed day, he would have not been accepted to the school Yemin Orde for orphan children. So I decided to take the risk of accompanying Artur as the Director of the program. Before the interview the employee of the Embassy asked me:
“Are you the guardian?”
“No, the guardian is sick, another granny is at the hospital. I am the director of the fund who gathered papers for the boy”.
“Tell Feliks Mindel that you are Artur’s aunt”.
“Thank you very much!”
I still remember the tense atmosphere. We entered the Feliks’ cabinet, Artur pulled his shoulders. Feliks suggested the boy taking off his jacket.
“I won’t!” said the boy sharply. Feliks was surprised. There was a danger of a conflict. However, this was the child’s nervous reaction after such a betrayal he knew from the closest person in his life – his granny. He did not know what to wait for from all those strange people.
As gently as a could, I told the boy:
“Darling, we are Feliks’ guests, let us show how we do respect him and take off the jacket”.
“Well... okay”, agreed he, once he felt friends around.
Feliks looked through his school marks.
“You are not a brilliant student. How would you study in Israel then?”
Again, Artur saw an attack in those words and frowned ready to give a sharp retort. I needed to save the situation.
“Does Israel not need football players?” I intruded. “Maybe Artur is a future football star!”
And suddenly the talk flew into a normal way. Feliks and Artur spoke like to adult men concerning football and in the end Feliks said:
“You’ll be able to leave only when you know the names of the Israeli team”.
When Artur went out of the Embassy, I said:
“You deserve a prise.”
“Israel is my prise”, Artur replied.
“What about an ice-cream?”
“It would be a second prise”, the boy said happily.
However, there was another obstacle on his way to Israel. At the Embassy they doubted regarding Artur’s birth. His parents wedded after his birth, and there appeared a question who was the father of the child. Then we had one last argument: we asked for a permission to pass a DNA test. Our persistence was not useless: the Embassy allowed Artur leave for Israel without any tests.
On September 19, 2007, Artur left for Israel, to study at Yemin Orde school.
All Jewish orphans from Zaporizhzhya gathered at Artur’s farewell party. His departure was at the very day of Rosh-ha-Shana (year 5768 Jewish calendar), thus, as always for holidays, the children had gifts and festive dinner.
Leaving, Artur gave us a stirring letter: “Dear Phil,
My name is Artur Godes.
I want to thank you and the employees of the Charity Fund “People Who Care” for helping me and my granny to get the papers I needed to go and study in Israel. I am so glad it happened.
I am looking forward to the day I leave.
I think, studying in Israel will change my life.
I want to live and study in Israel so much!
See you,
Artur Godes”.
And in December 2007, during the Exobus’ Chanukah Discovery Tour, Artur’s granny Mariya personally thanked Phil Hunter for her grandson Artur’s welfare.
Artur’s bar-mizvah in Yemin Orde.
Bar-mizvah (lit. “commandment’s son”) celebration of a boy’s maturity at the age of 13, who, in compliance to Galaha is ought to complete all the commandments of the Law.
On October 14, 2007, already a student, he celebrated his thirteenth birthday.
At his bar-mizvah Artur could read the text of the prayer in Hebrew.
It was not the canonical bar-mizvah at a synagogue, it was a true holiday of maturity of a Jewish orphan. It was a perfect occasion to show the boy that he was a good part of his people.
Tutors have arranged the event in a way Artur could feel he was a master of his own festivity, which took place in a crowded canteen hall in Yemin Orde.
Artur prepared the menu by himself, and invited his friends, he met them and seated at the table and each of them received a red paper heart with wonderful words: “Thank you for sharing my gladness with me”.
However, his guests had surprises for him as well: a great cake, pictures of Artur in Yemin Orde displayed over the large canteen wall, videos of him and video greetings.
The honour of opening the bar-mizvah was given to the President of the fund PWC Igor Levenshtein.
After the Hebrew greeting, Igor Levenshtein gave Artur a gift – an electronic translator from Hebrew and English and a “Pleasing Surprise” from donors – 100EUR.
The holiday was to be opened by the director of the school Ofer Y(erushalmi), yet he, a soldier of the Army of Defence of Israel, was at the gathering due to actions in the district of Gaza in January 2009. He arrived later, right in the uniform and with weapon, but joined the celebration with a very easygoing manner.
Long way towards the happy end
The veil of the times past, the veil of the negative atmosphere from Artur’s past life is still over him, he still has not got rid of it. It hurts his soul, captures his heart and tries to pull him back into the hell he used to live in.
How to protect the boy from the pain pulling him back to the dreads of his past?
What is the problem? It is in the horrible environment where there stayed close people, especially Artur’s granny Olga, an alcohol addict. Artur is well acquainted to this deadly habit of hers, and with all zest of the young heart wants to help her quit. However, she does not want it, and will never give up. It’s all the same for her whether her grandson suffers from her habit, and she does not want to listen to those who wish her only good. She drinks away not only the money she receives as a retiree, but also the benefits she receives as the guardian of an orphan under maturity. Artur worrying of his granny, phones her from Israel and hears her drunken voice which tears his heart – she has promised to give up drinking if he leaves for Israel!
It has lasted for almost five years. After each phone call to granny Olga Artur endures an attack of aggression which turns then into depression, into a desire to give up everything and leave for Ukraine in order to save his granny from drinking.
When Artur’s tutor Silva first faced this problem she was puzzled. However, Silva, an experienced tutor and psychologist, helped Artur to cope with it...but not for long. The situation became regular.
Silva asked us to help and in some way make the drinking granny quit. We met and had a talk but she could not keep her word long.
Artur suffered a lot. He possesses a strong character, wants to be a leader and is not afraid of responsibility. All these doubtlessly positive features played a bad role. Once he told Silva that if he had not left for Israel, his granny would have quit drinking. Soon we got to know that granny Olga’s relatives are trying to make her get Artur back to Ukraine.
The situation got to the verge.
Yet, the Lord gave Artur a guardian angel – his tutor Silva.
She had an extreme and complicated plan of saving Artur: it was not to let the boy ever return to Ukraine and see his granny. Artur was so willing to leave on holidays! It seemed that he would break any walls standing in front of him, he suffered so much! Yet Silva, an amazing tutor, found reasons why he could not leave (while other children had that right). She also helped Artur cope with the refuse, not to fall into depression and fight despair.
We feared that this year Artur will get what he wants and certainly come to Ukraine on holidays and see the degrading granny, the dreadful neglected flat, and this horrible picture will tear Artur’s heart and he will stay in Ukraine in order to save his alcoholic granny and destroy all the prospects for future.
Yet, his loving and wise Silva had a reason: “You are a citizen of Ukraine, you are 17, and this is the age when they take young boys to the army. Do you want to serve in the Ukrainian army?” “No, in the Israeli army only”, was the answer. “Then stay in Israel till you become the Israeli citizen”, Silva resumed.
In order to sooth Artur’s discontent, Silva arranged for him a place in a special summer camp for teenagers from the USA and Israel.
Having paid to the past, looking into future
Late in autumn in 2009, Silva arrived at Zaporizhzhya, Ukraine, where Artur lived before his departure to Israel.
The boy, on known sad reasons deprived of the possibility to visit Ukraine, missed it a lot. After his departure to Israel his father died, and Artur could not attend the funeral. Silva promised him to visit his father’s and mother’s graves in Ukraine and place there candles bought by Artur. However, Silva had two other tasks: to have a talk with the drinking granny and have a notarized permission from Artur’s guardian for his giyur, because the boy’s Jewishness is only paternal.
Silva turned to the fund PWC asking to meet her in Ukraine and help her complete all the tasks for Artur’s sake. We were glad to cooperate.
Next morning we had the two grannies in the office of the fund, and granny Olga had all the papers confirming her guardianship. We were aware that her relatives were trying to get Artur back to Ukraine and his giyur was out of their plans. Thus, we were going to have a serious talk with this granny. It all started with tea, pictures and souvenirs.
The homely atmosphere made Olga ready to talk. Silva complained that Artur often had attacks of depression, aggression, and the cause was the drunken voice he heard calling Olga. She promised us never to hurt her grandson again, and using her sense of guilt, we asked her to do some good thing for Artur, for example, to let him pass giyur. We explained her that for a Jewish boy with paternal Jewishness giyur means joining his people, traditions and the ancient line of living. Besides that, Israelites honour repatriates who pass giyur – it seems a token of their serious attitude towards religion.
Feeling guilty, the granny agreed at once and we took her to the notary with whom we had appointed a meeting beforehand.
Then we visited a cemetery with Artur’s mother’s, father’s and grandfather’s graves.
We had special garlands for the graves, with ribbons and words from Artur. Silva lit the candles and put them onto the tombstones. The whole process was filmed, and Silva turned to Artur and commented everything going on.
 
Back in Israel, Silva showed Artur the footage, gave him words and souvenirs from grannies and they had a memory evening. Artur’s heart melted during the warm talk with Silva, he recalled his past, and it let him go. It was of great help for re-establishment of his inner harmony.
Artur has not yet passed the giyur, but he is going to and takes serious preparations. Silva doe not hurry him up. It is important that they have the permission from the guardian. It is up to Artur to decide – it opens a new window into another world for him. It is very important that he has got the right to choose – the coordinates of the program have given it to him. He needs to feel adult enough to make this decision; it bears a lot of responsibilities and opens great prospects in front of the boy. Artur must think independently, and the goal of the program – to create the suitable environment for his choice of a path in Israel.
On July, 20, 2011, in a phone talk, Artur told us that he was morally ready for giyur. His application is already being considered by the rabbinate. Besides his being ready for this event the boy will need to pass a serious examination on his being acquainted to religious traditions.
 Artur is getting ready for the examination with the help of special tutors. May the Lord support Artur on this righteous way!
Four years in Yemin Orde
Artur arrived at Yemin Orde in autumn 2007.
In a month and a half after his departure to Israel, his father died of tuberculosis. It was a great shock for Artur. He had neither a mother nor a father. Whatever his father was, he was one of the closes people for the boy. Israeli tutors and psychologists did their best in order to help the child survive this tragedy.
In Yemin Orde we were stirred so much with the care and warmth the children live in. The employees of the school give the children all the warmth of their hearts, care of them like of their own children. And the children give them love in return.
What kind of birthday is it without a birthday cake?
We were stirred with warm, tender and absolutely trustful relations between Artur and his tutor Silva.
She filled the vacuum in the orphans heart, and we are so grateful for our Artur.
For four years has the boy studied in Israel. Of a stuttering, stiff orphan, he turned into a zestful sociable teenager. His stuttering is almost gone: this is the result of a long work of a speech therapist.
In Yemin Orde children grow under the charge of the caring tutors, in great conditions.
They have a chance for good education and career in Israel. Another important point is that those children have felt already that the society needs them, they are already adults who can make decisions.
They are prepared to an independent life and positive motivations. That is why the children love their historical motherland which gave them so many positive emotions and a way to future.
In a year, when he’s 18, Artur is going to become an Israeli citizen. All his dreams of future are closely bound to Israel, and he is happy to have this chance from the Lord – a chance to live in his historical motherland. Artur is grateful to all those who helped him on this way.
All this is in his letter which we received on July 18, 2011.
Afterword
Artur is one of those not numerous Jewish orphans who were lucky to be taken into the program of supporting Jewish orphans. Without this program, Artur could have easily taken after his father. He could have become an alcohol or drug addict, a criminal, or, maybe even imprisoned in a special youth jail.
Yet, this program gave him another life full of happy moments and hopes. He lives in the atmosphere of care, attention, and is well.
Ten years have passed since the moment Artur joined the program in 2005. Now, in 2015, he is a true citizen of Israel and is completing his military duty. Here are his latest pictures.
  
How much love and warmth and donated resource orphan children need on their way home to Israel!
We are so grateful to all the donors who supported Artur on this way.
But now, at this very moment, thousands of orphans are waiting for your donations. It is necessary to save them from their dreadful life – like it happened to Artur.
It is in your power to give them happy childhood, future and their historical motherland.
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