Israeli NGO Rescues Jewish Mother and Children from Tanzania in Complex Operation

A complex and heroic rescue operation initiated six years ago by the Israeli organization Yad L'Achim has culminated in a joyous Bar Mitzvah celebration for the eldest son of a Jewish family brought to Israel from Tanzania. The mother, L', a Jewish woman from an Israeli family that emigrated to Tanzania decades ago, had married a local Muslim man of Indian descent and endured years of hardship, including abuse and financial burden, while raising three children.

Following the death of L's mother in 2020, her children’s grandmother left a will demanding that L' and her children be brought to Israel to escape their abusive environment. When L' sought to travel to Israel with her children to visit the grandmother’s grave, the father refused to allow the children to leave Tanzania, fearing she might flee permanently. At this point, L's siblings enlisted Yad L'Achim’s help.

Yad L'Achim quickly assessed the case and coordinated with Chabad emissary Rabbi Shneur Shmuelovitz in Tanzania. They provided legal documents indicating that L' needed to appear in Israel with her children to claim inheritance funds, facilitating their escape. Upon arrival at Ben Gurion Airport, L' and her children were greeted by a dedicated Yad L'Achim team, including social workers and mentors fluent in English, the family’s only common language.

The organization continues to support the family, managing legal processes with the Interior Ministry to secure Israeli citizenship and sole custody for L'. This week, six years after the rescue, the eldest son celebrated his Bar Mitzvah in Ramat Gan, marking a significant milestone in their new life. Rabbi Shmuel Lipshitz of Yad L'Achim emphasized the story as proof of their motto: "We do not give up on any Jew."