Coronavirus impact affects Shavei israel
Three years almost to the date after Shavei Israel brought five young women from the Kaifeng Jewish community in China to Israel on Aliyah, our plans to bring another young woman were scuttled, at least temporarily, by the uncontained coronavirus, now known as Covid-19.
With China as the epicenter of what’s quickly becoming a pandemic, the aliyah was seeming more and more unlikely to happen as scheduled as the date grew closer. Once all flights from China to Israel were canceled on January 30th, it was only too obvious that the aliyah would need to happen on a future date although when that will be we can only guess.
The aliyah wasn’t the only Shavei-related event to affected by the coronavirus. A young man from the same Kaifeng Jewish community, whom Shavei Israel had brought on aliyah and assisted several years ago, is scheduled to be married in several weeks in Israel. After much effort, his family in China had all secured the necessary visas and arranged for the expensive flights to participate in the joyous occasion. Now there is little to no chance of his family being here at all to celebrate with him.
The whole staff at Shavei Israel prays for the speedy containment of the Covid-19 coronavirus, and for the recovery and good health for all those infected.