ast week, with help from the Jewish Agency, an emotional reunion took place between a new immigrant and her father she had not seen in over two decades.
[Photo Courtesy of the Jewish Agency]
Esther Korotz, 25, arrived at the Jewish Agency's Absorption Center in Carmiel from Hungary last week with her husband, Miklosh. Her first request upon arrival in Israel was to meet with her father, who she had not seen since she was two years old.
Esther's father, Shandor Korotz, made aliyah 23 years ago and subsequently lost contact with his family. The Jewish Agency, after much effort, located her father, living in Ashkelon. The reunion between the father and daughter took place at the Carmiel Absorption center.
Shandor welcomed his daughter homeland invited Esther and Miklosh to come live near him in Ashkelon.
Last year saw a small but significant rise in immigration to Israel from the 120,000-member Jewish community in Hungary. In 2003, 39 Jews made Aliyah from Hungary, while this year, 70 people had already made Aliyah by August. This number is expected to rise to almost three times last year's amount by the end of 2004.
Tova Pinto, the Jewish Agency delegation director in Hungary, says that increased Jewish awareness, manifested through a revival of youth groups and synagogues filled to capacity, have contributed to the increasing number of Jews making Aliyah.
[Photo Courtesy of the Jewish Agency]
Esther Korotz, 25, arrived at the Jewish Agency's Absorption Center in Carmiel from Hungary last week with her husband, Miklosh. Her first request upon arrival in Israel was to meet with her father, who she had not seen since she was two years old.
Esther's father, Shandor Korotz, made aliyah 23 years ago and subsequently lost contact with his family. The Jewish Agency, after much effort, located her father, living in Ashkelon. The reunion between the father and daughter took place at the Carmiel Absorption center.
Shandor welcomed his daughter homeland invited Esther and Miklosh to come live near him in Ashkelon.
Last year saw a small but significant rise in immigration to Israel from the 120,000-member Jewish community in Hungary. In 2003, 39 Jews made Aliyah from Hungary, while this year, 70 people had already made Aliyah by August. This number is expected to rise to almost three times last year's amount by the end of 2004.
Tova Pinto, the Jewish Agency delegation director in Hungary, says that increased Jewish awareness, manifested through a revival of youth groups and synagogues filled to capacity, have contributed to the increasing number of Jews making Aliyah.