Featured Articles

Amos Sektak

My name is Amos Sektak. I am 25 years old and made Aliya to Israel in 2000 from Manipur State, India. As a child, I went through many difficulties, many humiliations and suffered many “jokes” made by my “friends.” They always called us the “Saturday people” or the “circumcised ones,” and laughed at our religion. Even in school there were all sorts of difficulties, socially as well as requiring us to take our examinations or do our turn of duty on the Sabbath day. My life's dream was to come on Aliya to Israel, to live in a Jewish state and feel like I belonged and not different. With God's help as well as with Shavei Israel's, I came on Aliya to Israel. My dream became a reality. I spent one and a half years in a yeshiva in Jerusalem and felt that I was simply at home. Nevertheless, mixed in with my happiness was the sadness that my family remained in India.

Sonia Lhungdim

Hello! My name is Sonia… The name my parents gave me at birth and I don’t know why! People love to ask me why… “Because Sonia is a Russian name!” I didn’t know how to answer them except to say that in Indian, the name means “My dear”! I came on Aliya on August 10, 1999 together with my family, coming directly to Kiryat Arba, because until then my eldest sister lived there ever since making Aliya in 1993. She married in Israel, started a family and lives happily with her husband and three children! So, we stayed by her for a half year. During this time, we studied Hebrew at the Kiryat Arba Community Center. After about four months, I was enrolled at the Kiryat Arba Ulpanah for Girls. I began studies in 8th grade. This was a year I shall never forget for the rest of my life, due to problems with the Hebrew language. So, I was so quiet, never uttering a word and never wrote anything.

Liron Menelon

My name is Liron Menelon. I arrived in Israel on February 11, 2000 and did not know any Hebrew. I have two uncles in...