At the End of the Rainbow

Reunion between a father who came from the FSU and son serving in the IDF.

Anxiously following the television news in her cramped Moscow hi-rise, Natalyeh Vihnovich felt her stomach drop every time Israel was mentioned. Her 20-year-old son Sergey is serving in a combat unit of the IDF. "He went on the Selah academic program two years ago, and as soon as it was over, he enlisted. I felt so far away. For so long, I literally ached to hug my son, and Keshet gave me that precious opportunity."

Sponsored by the Atlanta, Baltimore and Metrowest Jewish Federations, and HaKeren LeYedidut headed by Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, and run in Israel by the Department of Immigration and Absorption's Tnuat Aliyah, the Keshet program brings parents of immigrant soldiers from the Former Soviet Union to Israel for a week-long visit. To date, four hundred and eleven parents have come within this framework. They spend time with their children, and crucial for many parents, they learn about aliyah options. What Natalyah saw after her enthusiastic reunion with Sergey, was that her son had "grown so mature and independent. I see how much he loves this country and how proud he is to serve in the IDF. Israel has become a real option for our family's future."

Bobbing in the Bay

A group of reveling returnees aboard ship in Boston Harbor.

On a New England Autumn day, on a boat in the Boston Bay, 150 Israel program returnees had a taste of Israel. Energetic and enterprising emissary Tamar Meir-Schneider joined them in Israeli dancing, and watched with a motherly satisfaction as the participants partook of the humus, pitas and Israeli salads.

All the returnees are students in Boston area colleges, and Tamar, working with the local Hillels, resolved to begin the academic year with Israel as "part of the curriculum." She and her staff reported great interest in the information booths advertising academic and other programs in Israel.

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