Independence Day: Thousands of refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine held a Seder in Israel together

About 4,000 immigrants celebrated Passover together in about 40 hotels rented by the Ministry of Immigration and Absorption.

In addition, hundreds of families across the country hosted new Seder families for their Seder table.

"For optimal absorption, the warm embrace and open heart of Israeli society are necessary and a source of pride," said Minister Tamano Sheta.

Yoav Itiel

16/04/2022

Saturday, 16 April 2022, 11:44 Updated: 11:51

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More than 4,000 refugees celebrate together (Photo: Government Press Office, Natan Weil)

More than 4,000 refugees from the war in Ukraine held the Great Seder night in Israel together last night (Friday).

The Ministry of Aliyah and Absorption rented about 40 hotels throughout the country, where the immigrants were hosted and celebrated Passover together, most of them for the first time in the country.

The Minister of Immigration and Absorption, Pnina Tamano Sheta, was hosted with her family in one of the hotels in the center of the country.

Some of the employees of the Ministry of Aliyah and Absorption, some with their families, also did the Seder night together with the immigrants staying in the hotels.

In every hotel, a Seder night is held as usual with the immigrants led by rabbis from Beit Hillel, Chabad, the Rachel Heritage Foundation and the Rabbinical Association.

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Refugees celebrate Seder together (Photo: Government Press Office, Sivan Shachor, Anaba, La'am)

Refugees celebrate Seder together (Photo: Government Press Office, Sivan Shachor, Anaba, La'am)

At the same time, Operation Immigrants to Save Ukrainian Jewry continued.

During the eve of the holiday, a flight with more than 100 refugees landed.

In the last day, 357 new immigrants have arrived in Israel and are entitled to the Law of Return, including 243 from Ukraine and the rest from Russia and Belarus.

Since the start of Operation Home Immigrants, some 13,500 immigrants have immigrated, the vast majority from Ukraine.

The Minister of Immigration and Absorption, Pnina Temano Sheta, said that the thousands of new immigrants who immigrated following the war were absorbed daily by her office workers diligently and sensitively, and emphasized that the operation was not over yet.

"There is still a lot to do," she said in a statement issued on the eve of the holiday.

The Minister added that as part of the "Immigrants for the Holiday" campaign of the Ministry of Aliyah and Absorption, hundreds of families around the country hosted families of new immigrants at their Seder table.

Refugees celebrate Seder together (Photo: Government Press Office, Natan Weil)

Refugees celebrate Seder together (Photo: Government Press Office, Sivan Shachor, Anaba, La'am)

"The new immigrants will be absorbed in Israel thanks to the professional guidance and the many rights we give them - such as the monthly rent assistance for their first year in the country, but for truly optimal absorption, the warm embrace and open heart of Israeli society are most necessary and proud," she said.

"I myself chose to celebrate Passover with the new immigrants and sing with them - what has changed? Because for them, basically everything has changed," said Minister Tamano Sheta.

"Happy Freedom Day, to the more than 13,000 new immigrants who will celebrate their first holiday with us, and to the whole house of Israel."

On the eve of the holiday, the Ministry of Aliyah and Absorption published data on immigrants who immigrated from Passover last year to this Passover, according to which 40,869 immigrants immigrated to Israel.

Nearly 7,000 of the immigrants who immigrated from last year to date are children up to the age of 12;

Close to 2,000 aged 17-13.

Nearly 12,000 immigrants are aged 35-18 and a similar number are aged 36-60.

About 10,000 immigrants are over the age of 60.

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