- February 1, 2026
- 2:37 am
- Israel, Ukraine
The events in Ukraine led some people, having survived the war, to decide to start a new life in Israel. Despite the difficulties they experienced in their homeland, they became volunteers in Israel.
One of the repatriates shares his experience: “After the events of October 7, memories of the hell we went through in Ukraine came back to me. But I do not regret for a minute that I moved to Israel”. In their stories, collected by “Vesti”, it is told about 3 families who decided on a new beginning in Jerusalem.
The new repatriates, who moved from war-torn Ukraine and settled in Jerusalem, had not yet adapted to their new homeland when a new war began in Israel. Instead of staying on the sidelines, they actively joined volunteer activities, helping IDF soldiers and evacuated residents of the south and north of the country.
Many of the new repatriates have not yet recovered from the horrific events in Ukraine and could not even imagine that they would face war and an emergency situation in Israel so soon. But perhaps this was precisely the impetus for the manifestation of civic activism. Employees of the Aliyah and Integration Department of the Jerusalem Municipality, accompanying the new repatriates, were impressed by the spirit of those who came from Ukraine and their solidarity with the state of Israel. The Jerusalem Municipality offers residents to participate in numerous volunteer initiatives related to the current situation, and the new repatriates are actively contributing to these efforts.
“After October 7, we have a feeling of déjà vu”
Among the active volunteers stands out Marina Stefanyuk, a 53-year-old mother of two children: 28-year-old Yevgeny and 16-year-old Orina. Her husband remained in Ukraine due to the war, not receiving permission to leave. Her son Yevgeny repatriated five years ago under the “Masa” program and immediately decided to stay in Israel, where he was drafted into the IDF. He always felt that his home was in Israel, and since October 2023, he has participated in combat operations in the south of the country.
Marina and her daughter came to Israel in March 2022, immediately after the Russian invasion of Ukraine began. She had long thought about repatriation but waited for her daughter to finish school. Their family lived in Kramatorsk, where their home was destroyed by a missile during the war.
The family was evacuated from the city due to heavy fighting and numerous destructions, which became a sign for them to finally decide to move to Israel. Marina says: “After the terrible events of October 7, memories of the hell we went through in Ukraine came back to me. It felt like déjà vu.” However, she does not regret the move and feels safe in Jerusalem.
Marina is inspired by the unity of Israelis during the war and decides to help the country by supporting lonely elderly people in the Pisgat Ze’ev area. In addition, being a professional hairdresser, she cuts soldiers and evacuees for free.
“The war seems to follow us”
Another family of repatriates actively involved in volunteer activities is Faina and Pavel Levin, 58-year-old spouses, along with their 26-year-old son Leonid. Faina works as an auditor in a large company and is taking accounting courses, while her husband Pavel works in a store.
Their son Leonid repatriated to Israel under a program for graduates of Israeli schools, after which he was drafted into the army and serves in the border troops. When the war in Gaza began, Leonid returned from a vacation in Italy and immediately went to his unit, where he spent 64 days as part of the engineering troops.
For Faina and Pavel, the Russian-Ukrainian war began in 2014. Faina lived in Luhansk and worked in the city hall, and when the unrest began, the family moved to another city in Ukraine. Their son began publishing stories about what was happening in Ukraine on social networks, which inspired many Israelis to send money to help those in need. When the war approached their home, the Levin family decided to leave for Israel, preferably to Jerusalem, where their son was.
After the events of October 7, Faina says: “I feel like the war is following me.” However, they do not regret repatriation, especially after appreciating the unity of the Israeli people. Faina began volunteering in the “Pisga be-Aza” project, helping to provide soldiers with necessary items – from underwear to bulletproof vests.
“When we arrived, they took care of us – now it’s our turn to give back”
The Leshevsky family repatriated in May 2022 from Odessa. Vladimir and Anna Leshevsky are 75 and 71 years old respectively, they are pensioners. Vladimir underwent surgery and chemotherapy due to cancer. In Israel, they were left without relatives: their son remained in Ukraine, and their daughter lives in the USA.
They suffered greatly from the war in Ukraine and could not talk about it for a long time. Although they had long dreamed of moving to Israel, they considered themselves too old for it and did not want to be a burden. But the events in their homeland forced them to take this step.
In Jerusalem, where they settled, they have many friends, and they always wanted to live here. But the events of October 7 brought fear and anxiety into their lives: “The war in Israel causes us pain,” they say.
However, they do not regret repatriation, convinced that they are where they always wanted to be. For them, Israel is a home where they feel safe. After the events of October, they turned to local organizations for help to provide volunteer assistance: “We want to help the country through a difficult period.”
Their daughter, Beata, living in the USA, helps IDF soldiers with various items and money. The parents buy things for female soldiers. This volunteer activity helps Vladimir forget about his illness: “The most important thing now is Israel’s victory. My thoughts and actions are directed towards this.”
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