When a family leaves behind everything familiar and begins a new life in another country, there are many things they need. Food, clothing, and help with everyday expenses can make a tremendous difference. But there is another need that is not always so easy to meet: finding people who genuinely care, a community where you belong, and a place you can call home.
For Vladimir and Irina, that place became Beit Hallel Congregation in Ashkelon, Israel.
The couple arrived in Israel following the outbreak of war in Ukraine in 2022. Like many newly arrived Jewish immigrants (olim), they faced the challenges of starting over in a new country. Through Beit Hallel, they received practical assistance, but they also discovered a congregation that welcomed them as family.
What makes their story especially meaningful is what happened next.
Today, Vladimir and Irina are deeply involved in the life of the Ashkelon congregation. They faithfully attend worship and prayer gatherings, encourage people who are struggling, and willingly lend a hand with community projects. They haven’t stopped needing help themselves, but that hasn’t stopped them from helping others.
And the blessing of this community now reaches across three generations of their family.
Vladimir and Irina have four children and six grandchildren. Two of their daughters, Anya and Dasha, have also immigrated to Israel with their husbands and children. As these young families settle into life in Ashkelon, the humanitarian assistance provided through Beit Hallel has become an important source of support.
Monthly food packages and access to the congregation’s clothing distribution center help relieve some of the financial pressure these families face. For parents raising children while establishing themselves in a new country, having somewhere to turn for these everyday necessities means a great deal.
Recently, Vladimir and Irina shared these words about what Beit Hallel has meant to their family:
“I thank God for Beit Hallel. For us, the congregation has become a family that supports us, and where we ourselves can serve our Lord.We regularly turn to the clothing distribution center for help, which is a tremendous blessing for new Olim. We also receive monthly food packages.We thank God for our spiritual family, through whom we experience the care of our Heavenly Father.”
Their words remind us that humanitarian ministry is about much more than providing material assistance.
Through Voice of Judah Israel and our partnership with Beit Hallel Congregation, we have the privilege of supporting work that brings practical help and the love of Jesus into the lives of Jewish families in Israel.
And sometimes, the people who come through the doors looking for help become the very people who welcome, pray for, and encourage the next family that arrives.
That is what we see in Vladimir and Irina.
They are not simply recipients of assistance. They are valued members of their congregation, serving the Lord and caring for others while continuing to receive the support their own family needs.
This is what your generosity helps make possible.
When you support this work, you help provide food, clothing, and practical assistance to families building new lives in Israel. But you also help create opportunities for relationships to grow, for people to experience Christian love in a personal way, and for families to become part of a caring community.
In the family photograph accompanying this story, we see Vladimir and Irina surrounded by their children and grandchildren. Behind that photograph is a story of three generations finding their place in Israel, with a congregation walking alongside them.
Thank you for helping make stories like theirs possible. Your kindness reaches far beyond the food packages and clothing we distribute. It helps families know that they are cared for, that they belong, and that they have people they can turn to as they build their future in Israel.