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| Yael Hangshing |
When Yael Hangshing first started studying in an Israeli ulpana, a religious seminary for girls, shortly after making aliyah in 1998 with her Bnei Menashe family, she found the gap between how the other girls in the school lived and her own home situation to be heartbreaking. Her father had passed away before the family even arrived in Israel and "my mother was working so hard as a cleaner," she says. "I could really feel what I didn't have."
But Yael was an excellent student and she immersed herself in her new environment. Before long, she was a full-fledged Sabra, speaking Hebrew fluently and making friends. When, following her graduation, she chose to do National Service just like all the other girls in her class, Shavei Israel took notice of her irrepressible spirit. Yael became a key part of our team working with the group of Bnei Menashe immigrants who had just arrived in 2007.
Today Yael is married and a mother of a little girl named Avishag. To improve her family's socio-economic situation, Yael has enrolled in the dental hygienist program at Hadassah Hospital. However, the course costs more than $10,000 for tuition alone, which Yael and her husband don't have, not to mention the additional hours young Avishag will need to be in daycare.
Yael has all the potential to improve her skills, to become truly self-sufficient, and to serve as a role model for her family and other members of the Bnei Menashe community, including those who are now arriving from India. And, as Yael jokes, "they all will need a good hygienist, one who speaks their language!"
Don't let this brave young woman's dreams go unfulfilled. Please visit our Support page and make a generous contribution. With your help, Yael can be a true Bnei Menashe success story.
Click here to read Yael Hangshing's full story.
