Julia Abramovich was born in Borisov, Belarus. In fourth grade her mother recommended that she go to the new Jewish Sunday school. Julia could not understand why, until her mother told her that she was Jewish. “People were scared of admitting that they were Jewish at that time,” says Julia. “My mother told me to keep it a secret.” After two months at the Sunday school, Julia felt intensely proud to be Jewish and told her mother, “We are going to Israel.”

For six years Julia waited to go to Israel on the Jewish Agency’s Na’aleh program for high school students from the former Soviet Union. During this time she became an active member in the Jewish Agency’s Youth Club, learning Hebrew, Israeli folk dancing and Jewish songs, and participating in Jewish holiday celebrations. When Julia was accepted to Na’aleh, her mother was very ill and Julia was torn between taking care of her and going to Israel. “My mother held my hand and said to me in a raspy voice, ‘Julia, go to Israel. I will follow you.’”

In September 1999 Julia started high school at Kibbutz Ein Gedi. Three months later, Julia’s mother came to Israel and went directly to the hospital. “I visited her all the time and told her stories about the beauty of Israel.” In February 2000 Julia’s mother passed away.

“I was devastated when my mother died. The people who kept me going and gave me so much love were my adopted family on the kibbutz.”

Upon completing high school Julia received Israeli citizenship and proudly joined the army. She served as a combat officer in the Israeli Air Force. It was not easy being a lone soldier, but Julia had a new adopted family that embraced her as their own.

Julia has finished her army service and hopes to save money to travel. She dreams of going to university and studying to be a doctor. “I have found my place in Israel. I have met such wonderful people and I truly believe that in the end everything works out for the best.”