From the moment of despair to the signing of Putin: Yaffe Issachar's struggle ended with the release of Naama

For months, Naama Issachar's mother fought for her daughter who was imprisoned in Russia after being convicted of drug smuggling. With the announcement of her release, she concludes in an interview with Walla! NEWS A hopeless war that ended with a meeting with Russian President and expected return to Israel on PM's plane. "Every mother would do that"

From the moment of despair to the signing of Putin: Yaffe Issachar's struggle ended with the release of Naama

For more than 11 months, beautiful Yissachar stayed in Moscow to release her daughter Naama. At the beginning of the road alone, without help and on the verge of despair. She did not give up and knocked on every door she managed. Issachar's mother managed to enter the hearts of the Jewish community in Moscow, all to return her daughter to Israel. Yesterday, with the announcement of Naama Issachar's release, the mother concluded beautifully in an interview with Walla! NEWS Nearly a year of life to bring her daughter home. "I was walking alone for months, in despair, my family wanted me to come back to Israel, but I wanted to be just next to Naama," said Issachar at the end of a day filled with tensions, anxieties, fears and moments of joy in Moscow. "Naama made history, there was no such thing in the country," she said.

Yaffe spent all night expecting the morning to come and she could meet Naama. She said that in the morning she did not understand how no one contacted her and updated her on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit. She was later guided, but could not provide details. The Kremlin's announcement caught her at one of the malls in the city as she drove to Naama to buy a coat to match Moscow's freezing cold. When the gospel arrived, she immediately ran to the hotel and entered her room. Finally, she reached out to the media and told how excited she was and how much she was waiting to hug Naama.

Her phone did not stop ringing but the most important phone she received was from Rabbi Berl Lazar, Russia's Chief Rabbi, who told her "I send you a car, come to us now we have to welcome the redemption of prisoners", and she did. "I was with them from the beginning," Yafe said excitedly. "In April I came to them, he would meet me a lot and I would cry for him. Today I celebrated the release of Naama, I closed a circle." She added: "They were amazing. First of all, Rabbi Shaya, who accompanied Naama further from the arrest, visited her every time, brought her some food I asked for. I would pass letters back and forth, that was my communication with Naama."

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Yafa Issachar met with Russian President Putin last week (Photo: Ohad Zugenberg)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Russian President Vladimir Putin Sara Netanyahu and Yaffa Issachar during Prime Minister's Residence Media, Jerusalem, January 23, 2020 (Photo: Ohad Tsuigenberg, official website)

"Rabbi Berl Lazar, who is the greatest, does many things in secret," she continued beautifully. "I was told he was just going to take her out. I would come to them for Friday dinners, me and all my relatives. They were always warm and caring." Rabbi Lazar's wife and many Chabad emissaries are located in Russia, all of whom are very happy, but also sad that they will not be able to congratulate Naama and celebrate the liberation with her. "There are two important commandments," said Rabbi Lazar Lipa. Captives and this you did, the other is pairing, and you will take care of it, too. "

"He said he would make phone calls and try to get along with Rabbi Shaya, and congratulate Naama in prison," Yafe said. "You have to congratulate her on wine because she is free. They have been waiting with me all these months, on Passover they said that at the time of freedom, they should be released, whenever they were optimistic and also encouraged me." She once again thanked Rabbi Lazar, "who did a lot," and also Prime Minister Netanyahu and the Creator of the world. "All of this together resulted in her release," she added.

"What still helped Blackara is that Naama is such a smart girl," she noted. "The pardon letter she wrote to the president, I read it and said how this girl wrote such a beautiful letter, without counselors and without help. She had already gone to prison to read and write in Russian," the mother added.

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"I was with them from the beginning." Beautiful with Rabbi Lazar and Chabad emissaries

Yaffe Issachar, mother of Naama Issachar, with Rabbi Lazar and Chabad emissaries in Russia, January 30, 2020 (Photo: official website)

But Issachar did not always enjoy all the help she had admitted. At first, she says she was alone in Russia and on the verge of despair. "You know how many Psalms I read," Yafe said of the difficult period. "I used to sit in the parks alone, walking for hours alone, in despair. In the first few months nobody helped me." What kept her going, she said, was solely the desire to free her daughter. This is a mother who fought against all odds and managed to reach the strongest man in Russia, to get her daughter to board the plane along with the prime minister and his wife back in the country.

"My family said to me, 'Go back home.' I would come to Israel and want to get back to it," she said. "I didn't think of anything, I just wanted to be by her side. I was here all the time, I would come in and get a visa for three months, until I finally got through the quota and the Israeli and Russian foreign ministries helped me, and gave me a special visa," Yaffa elaborated. "Who I didn't turn to, whom I didn't try to reach. For world saviors and oligarchs."

Yaffe's ability not to give up and continue to fight, to reach the heart of every person who could help her gave his signals. "Every mother would do it, I don't think I'm special," Yaffe said. "What is important is that I had a strong and supportive family, good friends of Naama, the media, Rabbi Lazar and Rabbi Shaya, Prime Minister Netanyahu. All this did the unbelievable."

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"It's a miracle what happened here." Yaffe Issachar with Russia's Chief Rabbi Berl Lazar and his wife last night (Photo: Dana Yerkatsi)

Yaffe Issachar with Russia's Chief Rabbi Berl Lazar January 29, 2020 (Photo: Dana Yerkatsi)

At the rabbi's house she said beautifully when she was beside him because "I am very excited, thanksgiving. I kept saying here it was getting closer, but now I just think whether she knows or not, but the rabbi says she knows." Rabbi Lazar confirmed this. "She knows, no one Russian doesn't know," the rabbi said jokingly. The beautiful smile added, "Who would have thought we would reach such a level, get to know the president, shake his hand, talk to him. He listened to me in the presence of the prime minister and his wife. It's a miracle."

Moti Weisberg, a Chabad emissary in Moscow and director of the Jewish community, said: "What a beauty. What an exciting moment. It's a miracle what happened here, to see the mother, the tears. I have seen Yaffe many times, but this is the first time I have seen her with tears of joy. " She spent a year of her life in Russia, and Rabbi Lazar worked on many levels to help. He saved lives in Israel. "

This morning, Naama is expected to be released from prison. A Foreign Office vehicle is expected to take her from the straight prison to the airport where her mother is. The two will meet there, waiting for the prime minister to conclude his meeting with the Kremlin.

A foreign ministry vehicle will take her from jail to the airport. Naama Issachar at court hearing (Photo: AP)

Naama Issachar at a Moscow court hearing, Russia, December 19, 2019 (Photo: AFP, GettyImages)