“I came to Israel with the Jewish Agency’s Na’aleh program, without my parents, at the age of 16. It was the best thing I could have done. I was able to integrate easily. Now, four years later, I am a proud Israeli.”

Alena Khilenko (20) was born in Odessa Ukraine, the only child of a Jewish mother and non-Jewish father. In her early teens, Alena went with a friend to the Jewish Agency Activity Center (JAC) in Odessa. She became involved in the youth club and worked as a counselor at the Jewish Agency summer camp. At the age of 14, Alena went to Israel on a trip with Jewish teenagers from all over the world. “I knew that I would come to Israel,” says Alena. “I felt a strong connection to my Jewish identity and knew that I would have a better future there .More