Aliyah from Brazil amid COVID-19: Right decision at the right time

This arrangement proved practical as Suzana’s mother is a cancer patient, speaks Portuguese only and needs assistance from her family. The Jablonskis chose Kfar Saba over Tel Aviv, where Suzana’s sister lives, because they preferred a smaller city with a quieter life.

Though the COVID-19 situation initially posed many constraints, Suzana is most appreciative of her new surroundings, especially when comparing life here with Rio. 

“We came to Kfar Saba, a great city for families. We have parks everywhere. My son is free to have fun discovering the world outside the apartment. Rio is a very dangerous city with almost no infrastructure for families and kids,” she explains, “no public kindergarten, parks or places so kids can play and be free. In Brazil, the living costs are very high, since we don’t have any rights – health, education, security. The public administration is very bad, with so much corruption, and we need to pay private companies to receive all the basic rights. Life is very difficult there now.”

Because Suzana used to pay an amount almost equivalent to her salary for her mother’s private health insurance, she is also grateful for the healthcare offered at Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, “at the level of the top best Brazilian private hospitals, for an affordable cost.” 

Suzana’s ancestry is Sephardi. Her great-grandparents moved to Brazil after many generations in Turkey. She and Henrique attended a secular Zionist school in Rio, where their families were affiliated with Reform congregations. As part of their involvement with the Habonim-Dror youth movement 10 and 12 years ago, respectively, they spent a motivating year of service in Israel based on Kibbutz Hatzerim near Beersheba. Following their acquaintance in Habonim, their friendship continued, and they married three years ago. 

After high school Suzana worked for almost 10 years in her family’s business, which manufactured bags and purses on a small scale. She was appointed director following her father’s retirement. At a young age her entrepreneurial streak shone through when she produced a line of customized bags and promotional kits for events and conferences.

Henrique, who graduated college with a degree in economics, worked in corporate administration in Rio. During their last year in Brazil he switched to producing stand-up comedy until, unfortunately, all theaters closed due to COVID-19. Suzana’s promotional business also wound down. Though originally the Jablonskis planned to come to Israel a year later, they promptly moved up their aliyah date. 

“Without work, it became impossible to continue the way we were living,” they explain.

DURING HIGH SCHOOL Henrique showed athletic prowess and joined the rowing team. He also played soccer in college. A sport enthusiast, he now plans to study and work in physical education, perhaps as a coach. 

The Jablonskis aim for a flexible schedule these days so that one of them is always available for child care and other obligations. For this reason, Suzana just began language studies with a private online ulpan for five hours twice a week, and her husband will begin later. 

“We know some Hebrew because we lived here before, but for sure we need to improve it and study hard,” she remarks.

Their positive attitude showed through when shortly after arrival they both landed part-time jobs to finance these ulpan studies. Henrique worked in a local fruit market for five months, and recently began using his motorbike to make food deliveries in the afternoon and evening hours. Meanwhile, Suzana started out in a restaurant kitchen in Kfar Saba, where she stayed for a few months. 

“It was my goal to work in a restaurant because I love cooking and I’m discovering it as a skill of mine. I wish to work on that and start a career in the area, and I believed it important to start from scratch,” she notes. 

Although she quit the restaurant job because of the long hours, she is planning to cook Brazilian food such as codfish cream, black beans, cheese bread and Brigadeiro chocolate balls from home. The Absorption Ministry has arranged private coaching for her in Spanish through the Maalot program that assists new immigrants and returning residents in establishing small businesses. 

Recently Suzana has broadened her acquaintance with Israelis by cleaning houses a few times a week. Before Passover, she was surprised by the spring-cleaning craziness that characterizes this period. 

“In Brazil our family didn’t clean the house for Pesach,” she explains, conceding that it put her in touch with a tradition that had bypassed them. “My husband has Israeli family, and we spent our first holiday in their home in Kfar Yona. It was a great celebration – a new experience.

The Jablonskis are enjoying the gradual return to normal life.

“Now we are seeing a completely different kind of city than when we arrived,” they say, referring to their quarantine period and subsequent lockdowns. “In general, people are very generous and nice to us here, and we wish we can make our way to give back everything we are receiving at the beginning. 

“We feel so well treated, and can’t believe how lucky we are for having that opportunity to be here. We made the right decision at the right time.”■