Sergey S., Zaporozhye city

Before his departure for Israel Sergey S. was a gloomy guy who smiled only from time to time, an inactive, passive one, even seeming lazy. His credo in Ukraine was: leave me alone ‘coz it’s all the same for me.
In Israel, we met another Sergey! Within some two months a wonderful metamorphosis happened to him. We had a talk and could not believe our own eyes: he was confident, spoke clearly and smiled!

He had got a definite goal in life and an active life position.
However, the start of his life in Israel was a logical continuation of his state in Ukraine. Sergey ran away from a kibbutz where he was to live.
He found shelter at his cousin’s place (his cousin’s name is also Sergey, he is a son to Margarita who brought up our boy).

Sergey, the cousin, lives in Rishon Le Zion with his wife, daughter and granny. He has got a spacious flat of five rooms. Of course, there was a nook for Sergey Jr.
This was the day when Sergey’s manly upbringing started. (He lacked it greatly in Ukraine).
Sergey’s cousin has lived in Israel for a long time. He is a successful, determined man – a great pattern for Sergey to follow!
Our infantile child realized that he wanted to be a man of the same kind.
Sergey found a job of a loader in an army canteen.
When military actions in the district of Gaza broke out he was ready to make a manly decision. He would join the Army of Defence of Israel and fight for his historical motherland.
And, of course, Sergey was happy to receive our “Pleasing Surprise”.

Some prehistory
Sergey S. from Zaporozhye is 18 now. His mother Albina died of blood cancer when he was only 7 years old. He saw his father for the first time being 3 years old.
Before the little Sergey’s birth his parents decided they could not live together. Even before giving birth to her son Albina knew of her fatal disease. Her husband left his wife without waiting till she gave birth to his younger son.
After Albina’s death in 1997 there remained two sons: the elder one, Aleksandr, who was 11 at that time and the younger Sergey, aged 7. The boys’ father left from their mother’s funeral having taken the elder boy with him. The younger stayed with his granny, Raisa G. In three years Raisa left for Israel, for the city of Rishon-Le-Zion.
After his granny’s departure to Israel Sergey’s aunt Margarita, his mother’s sister, took the boy to her place. Since that time Sergey has lived at her place. Sergey’s father has never helped the boy financially. Sergey’s aunt Margarita maintained him because the state pension has always been scanty: only 40 euro per month.
Since the beginning of his life, the boy has lived in a Jewish environment. His granny Raisa and aunt Margarita have told him a lot about Israel, ancient and modern.
As soon as a Jewish school in Zaporozhye opened, Sergey told Margarita: “I want to study only at a Jewish school”. He was accepted there at once. He became interested in history and traditions of Jewish people, studied Hebrew and English.
In 2005, after graduation from school he entered a motor transport college to study a trade of a joiner. When he graduates he will have a very useful profession for his future life in Israel.

The fund has been taking care of Sergey for three years. We helped him with clothes, footwear, money and other gifts.

Sergey took part in all the fund’s events arranged for orphan children: theatrical performances, masquerades on Purim, festive dinners on the occasion of Jewish holidays.

On his birthdays, he always received gifts from us and always a birthday cake.

He became a very close person to us. And a reserved, unsociable boy’s heart melted and he became a friend of ours. He was looking forward to next meetings at our fund.

The fund gave Sergey a substantial aid while he was preparing for his departure to Israel both with money (30 euro) and arranging a quickened procedure of drawing the documents in various state departments. A serious delay appeared with the military department. They did not want to give him permission for departure from Ukraine demanding Sergey’s serving in the Army of Ukraine (it is obligatory in Ukraine). It was necessary to search for friends among the military officers and strive for permission for him to depart.
Now all those troubles were gone. Sergey left for Israel on a JAFI program.
Sergey’s granny Raisa and cousin, aunt Margarita’s son, have always been waiting for him in Israel. Sergey’s cousin and namesake is already 32. He, his wife Natalya and daughter Margarita live kin Israel in the city of Rishon-Le-Zion.

And we have got a keepsake: pictures of Sergey taken during those several wonderful years when our care warmed the orphaned heart of the boy who now continues his life path in his biblical homeland.

Before his departure to Israel, Sergey received a souvenir from us: an album of his pictures and money for his trip to Israel.