Aliyah and Integration Minister Pnina Tamano-Shata crossed the Polish border into Ukraine on Wednesday afternoon in order to meet the Israeli medical staffs assisting refugees at Israel's Kohav Meir Field Hospital.
Tamano-Shata arrived in the city of Mostyska, Ukraine to encourage the medical staff treating thousands of Ukrainian refugees who have fled the war zones and are in urgent need of medical assistance.
"You are a pride for Israel. You are at the forefront and saving lives every day," she said.
Tamano-Shata met with Israeli doctors who had previously immigrated to Israel from Ukraine. One of them, Anya Kushnir, who immigrated to Israel on her own at the age of 15 as part of the Na'ala project, studied at a boarding school, served as an IDF officer and finally realized her dream of becoming a doctor.
"I am very moved to have the opportunity to return to the country I was born in and to volunteer by saving lives," Kushnir said.
"I also want to portray a message to all the children fleeing Ukraine at this time and immigrating to Israel: you can fulfill your dreams and nothing will stand in your way," she added.
"Since the outbreak of hostilities, the Na'ala organization, which is a joint project of the Ministry of Education and the Jewish Agency, has rescued more than 150 boys and girls who came to Israel," Tamano-Shata said.
The Minister is leading a special delegation in Ukraine, to monitor the rescue processes and immigration of Ukrainian Jews. She is expected to meet with those waiting for immigration over the next two days, including rabbis of the Jewish community in Ukraine.
The delegation includes the current chairman of the WZO and the Jewish Agency, Yaakov Hagoel; Keren Hayesod Chairman Sam Grundwerg; Keren Hayesod Board Chairman Steven Lowy; Jewish Agency Chairman of the Board of Governors Michael Siegal; and Jewish Agency's Director General Amira Aharonovich. Israel's Ambassador to Ukraine Michael Brodsky was also present during the tour.
The minister summed up the tour in an exciting way when she chose to sing with the doctors the Jewish song Kol HaOlam Kulo (the whole world is a very narrow bridge).
The Kochav Meir Hospital operates through the Ministries of Health and Foreign Affairs and is based on the Sheba Medical Center and all its activities are made possible thanks to the Schusterman Foundation, which contributes to national and social projects in Israel, the JDC and other donors.
“It’s been overwhelming seeing the tremendous rescue and relief work our staff and volunteers are doing on the ground,” Siegal said. “Rescuing refugees, providing them with shelter, and then making aliyah possible for them is a multipronged process relying on many moving parts. I’m extremely proud of the efforts made by our Jewish Agency team who have been working around the clock since day one of this dreadful war to save Jewish lives.”