Ukrainian Jews Celebrate Early Passover
JERUSALEM, Israel -- It's a modern day Exodus story. Just before Passover when Jews around the world celebrate their exodus from Egypt, the Jewish Agency reported Tuesday that Ukrainian Jews celebrated an early Passover at the agency's refugee center as they prepare to immigrate to Israel.
"The Jews who are living at The Jewish Agency's refugee center in Dnepropetrovsk left their entire lives behind in order to give their children a better future in Israel," said Jewish Agency chairman Natan Sharansky. "Their decision to immigrate to Israel on the eve of Passover is deeply significant."
In 2014, some 5,480 Jews immigrated to Israel from Ukraine, nearly three times as many as the previous year. The increase follows the outbreak of hostilities in eastern Ukraine with Russian-backed separatists.
The aliyah [immigration to Israel under the Law of Return] continues in 2015, with some 1,400 new Ukrainian immigrants, compared to 400 during the first three months of 2014.
The agency estimates there are about 200,000 eligible immigrants in Ukraine. It has representatives throughout the country to help those who would like to immigrate to Israel.
"Jewish Agency representatives, who are spread throughout the country, focus their efforts on handling the aliyah process while strengthening Ukrainian Jews' ties to Israel and to Jewish life by both engaging in Jewish education in Ukraine and bringing hundreds of young people to experience Israel on Jewish Agency programs each year," said agency spokesman Avi Mayer in an email.
"The Jewish Agency's activities in Ukraine take place in cooperation with the government of Israel and with the support of Jewish communities, organizations, and donors in Israel and around the world," Mayer explained.
Aliyah from France and Belgium also increased substantially in 2014, due to increasing anti-Semitism and resultant terror attacks, and continues in the New Year.
