Andrei's Letter

My name is Andrei, I made Aliyah from Kharkov, a beautiful city in Ukraine 5 years ago. I immigrated alone and I served in the IDF as a lone soldier. My family stayed in Ukraine. Two months ago at 5:40 in the morning my mother informed me that the war in Ukraine had begun. I wanted to cry at that moment. Like everyone else, I hoped it would end quickly, but no. For three weeks my family lived in the basement and occasionally went up to the apartment for only a few hours to cook and shower. For 3 weeks my family tried to stay calm and I was told that everything was fine and no need to worry. But unfortunately it got worse The bombing did not  stop. My mother told me they prepared a small bag if they would have to run. 

They would hear neighbors screaming, it was so scary for her. I know she didn’t want to tell me and worry me but every day I learned from the news that my city was bombed, that the places I grew up and went to a few months ago when I visited my family were destroyed. So we decided we should try and save them. Thanks to the volunteers who helped with a bus I was able to get my mother, grandmother, aunt and my dog ​​out of Kharkov. Unfortunately my father and brother are still in Ukraine. Dad is in Kharkov and my brother in Lviv. I worry about them every minute of every day. I worried about my mother and my grandmother under siege and living with bombs falling all around them. I worried for my father and my brother who are not allowed to leave, who must fight.

A month ago my mother, grandmother and aunt made Aliyah. From Kharkov they went to the Moldova border. They were very scared when they travelled but after 3 days they got on a plane to Israel and came here. I am so happy that they could be with me in Israel and I can try to take care of them. We think about our father and brother and our friends and family in Ukraine. We are heartbroken that families are separated and that so many have been killed. I am thankful that some of my family was able to come to Israel and that I can be here to receive my mother, grandmother and aunt and that they are safe here.