To whom it may concern,
 
The Talmud teaches us that when you save one person, it is as if you have saved an entire world. The Jewish Agency has saved worlds and worlds of Jews by helping them move to Israel. When I first opened up my aliyah tik, I didn't expect a lot of help.  I anticipated only bureaucracy. Yair Kalush, my shaliach, was extremely helpful in explaining to me all of my options.
 
There were many complications with my aliyah due to the fact that I did not know I was already a citizen! My father had made aliyah almost 30 years ago without my knowledge and returned to the States and has lived there ever since.  Since I was the child of an Israeli citizen, I was considered an Ezrachit Olah, a citizen born abroad.  Without this complication, my file would have been approved easily, and I would have been finished with my processing long before my aliyah date.  However, since I was a citizen, I needed an Israeli passport and I had months of trouble obtaining one here in the US.  Without this passport, I could not receive my aliyah benefits immediately upon landing in Israel and would have to wait to get my Nefesh B'Nefesh grant. 
 
The shaliach's assistant, Maryanna Walls, worked on my case daily for months, calling Israel, the Israeli consulate... and anyone else she thought could help. Maryanna was not just a shaliach or an employee of the Jewish Agency.  She became a friend. She listened to my frustrations, my excitement, and even my tears. Finally, after many phone calls, faxes and emails on my behalf, I was finally issued my Israeli passport just a few days before my aliyah flight.

Without Yair and Maryanna's help, I don't know if I would be writing this letter from my beautiful apartment in Yerushalayim, Ir Hakodesh. Thanks to them, I am learning Hebrew in an excellent ulpan, have found an apartment, and a loving community. Out of all of my friends here who have also recently made aliyah, I have been the most informed about my rights and the aliyah process. This is without a doubt due to Maryanna and Yair's unrelenting dedication and hard work. A few days ago, someone asked me who I  really miss back in the States.  One of the first people I thought of was Maryanna.  She went above and beyond the call of duty.  I can only hope that one day that she will join me in Israel. Yair Kalush and Maryanna Walls should be blessed to continue their amazing and historical work for the Jewish people b'simcha.

V'shavu banim

Elisheva Rubinger