Why we chose Judaism: Continuing the journey

We wrote about the Bissato family, Yehoshua, 45, Chana, 36, and their daughter Leah, 10, when they arrived in Israel from Caxias do Sul, Brazil. The former pastors’ unusual path actually led them away from the teachings they grew up on and onto a path towards Judaism. They were looking for a conversion process for eight years and are excited to commence this final leg of their journey to Judaism.

 

“We’re living in Israel now, but we don’t take that for granted at all.

 

“A little about our history… We faced many challenges in our journey. Then we finally received the opportunity of a lifetime from Shavei Israel and we started planning to come. Then came the coronavirus and the attacks on Israel. I had to do several tests, I actually had Corona and my wife had to have unrelated surgery. We waited for more than a year until we could finally board a plane and everything went well. So much waiting and anguish, we prayed a lot, we cried a lot… but we never lost our faith.

 

“We were sure that the day of our trip to Israel would come. After having canceled the trip literally three times, everything went well. Each stage of the journey was accompanied by a lot of emotion and tears, but this time, they were emotions of joy and gratitude for seeing our dream come true!

 

“When we arrived at Ben Gurion airport it felt like we were finally going home. Upon arrival we were warmly greeted by wonderful people; we have a lot to be thankful for. 

 

“Soon after our arrival, we started classes at Machon Miriam, the Spanish-language conversion course at Shavei Israel. The teachers are amazing and have a deep understanding of the Jewish concepts. They make us reflect on the topics presented and each class we learn and grow more. In addition, we were received as if we are all part of a large family, where everyone cares about each other, and tries to help in everything we need. 

 

“We are very grateful for this opportunity though we still have many challenges. The economic issue is something that weighs heavily on us, of course, as we wait for the privilege of being able to work in Israel. Although we have received a lot of help so far, all the basic needs like food, rent, water, electricity, and health insurance require considerable resources. But we trust in God, and He will surely send many good people to help us. 

 

“We can only thank everyone for all that we have already experienced here in Israel. Now we are going to keep striving until we reach our ultimate goal, which is to convert to Judaism and make aliyah (formally immigrate) to Israel.”  ~Yehoshua, Hanna, and Leah

 

To help the Bissato family and others like them as they work hard to complete their conversion, feel free to donate any amount, and indicate what it is for. Thank you!