HELPING
NEW OLIM (IMMIGRANTS)
FROM RUSSIA AND UKRAINE

On February 24, 2022, the lives of many Ukrainian and Russian Jews changed forever. Thousands of families had since found refuge in Israel, forced to start afresh and rebuild their lives.
With your help, Our People put together an effort to assist hundreds of families with preparing for aliyah, making their way to Israel, and finding a home here. Your support provided these olim with
Airplane tickets
Food baskets and vouchers
Legal aid
Community events
as well as a direct phone consultation line, where they could ask any questions, get help scheduling appointments and filling out paperwork for government assistance, and when necessary lobbying officials to provide the olim with the help they deserve.

Ahead of the holidays (Passover and Rosh Hashana), we distributed grocery gift cards to struggling olim from Ukraine, lone elderly, and converts who had not yet received financial aid from the government.

All in all the center has assisted close to 1,000 families in 2023.

The Panfilov Family
Yissachar and Miriam Panfilov converted to Judaism in Moscow close to 10 years ago and have since become a pillar in the city's Jewish community. After coming to Israel with their 8 children (including 2 adopted-at-birth children with physical disabilities) the family was not immediately granted citizenship and required to submit multiple documents to prove their conversion is genuine.
Meeting "People on the Spectrum"
"People on the Spectrum" - A Meeting Dedicated to the Challenges of Individuals with Autism
An unusual meeting titled "People on the Spectrum" was held at the community center "Our People (OurPeople)". Parents of children with autism, teenagers, and adults on the spectrum discussed the complexities and subtleties of the Israeli special education system, shared life hacks, and sought ways to assist new immigrants.