Volume 9, Issue 3 / Adar 5766 / March 2006

Svetlana Gotlieb (30) came to Israel a little over a year ago from the city of Yekaterinburg in the Urals. Her first home in Israel was at the Jewish Agency for Israel’s Absorption Center in Kfar Saba, where she learned Hebrew in an ulpan with other immigrants with academic degrees.

Upon completing ulpan, Svetlana went to live at the Jewish Agency’s Absorption Center in Ashkelon where she participated in the Jewish Agency’s TAKA program, which assists young academics who wish to continue their studies in Israel. Svetlana already received a BA in education from Russia.

In Ashkelon, Svetlana met other young new immigrants from all over the world and fell in love with a new immigrant from France, Dan Desforjes. Svetlana and Dan are now engaged and plan to get married after Svetlana completes a conversion course. 

Svetlana and Dan are now participating in the Jewish Agency’s At Home Together program. At Home Together recruits Israeli families as volunteers to “adopt” newcomers during their first two years in Israel. New immigrants are given a critical social network – a gateway to jobs, community and acculturation.

Svetlana and Dan were adopted by Ruchani and Sharon Almaliach, residents of Ashkelon. They spend a lot of time with the young family and have learned a great deal about Israeli society from them.

“Ruchani and Sharon are wonderful,” says Svetlana. “They embraced us so warmly and made us feel right at home. They also introduced us to their friends and family in Ashkelon -- we feel part of the community.”