Following is a real-time account of a Jewish woman’s flight from Ukraine with her three small children in the face of a looming Russian invasion, as told to JewishPress.com in an exclusive interview just hours after her safe arrival in Israel.
Ahuva Rosilio, 26, a US citizen married to an Israeli living in Odessa, courageously made the decision to flee with her children (two girls ages 8 and 7 months old, and a boy age 6) to safety, despite having to do it alone because her husband Shlomo, 36, is an emergency medical responder and stayed to help those who couldn’t leave.
This is her story, in her own words.
It all started a few weeks ago; there was an announcement that America would be evacuating all embassy state members and families, so we all started to look and think what we will do if the situation became worse.
Each week went by and nothing seemed to change. The children had school as usual, everyone was going to work, and the local news stations were not reporting anything that warranted us to feel unsafe.
Most of us felt like the news was blowing the situation up and didn’t feel there was a need to evacuate. Then this past weekend I got a notification on my phone Friday evening that said all Americans have 48 hours to leave Ukraine. It was Shabbat for us already, though, and there wasn’t much we could do about it at the time.
The next morning my husband went to the Chabad shul where we pray, and in the middle of services a security officer from the Israeli embassy came in and told everyone to evacuate by 9:30 the next morning.
Everyone was under stress and again we were waiting until after Shabbat to read the news.
After Shabbat we saw that there was some speculation that [Russia’s President Vladimir] Putin would close off all electricity, gas, and internet access to Ukraine. That is when we decided, ‘okay, for sure I need to leave with the children.’
My husband is unable to come, however, because he has a lot of responsibilities in Ukraine. One major thing is that he is the founder of Ukraine Hatzalah (Jewish emergency medical response service) and needs to stay behind to help the families that can not leave. He is trying to organize ambulances and supplies in case God forbid the situation becomes worse.
Anyway, we got a hold of our travel agent and explained the situation that we needed three tickets out to Israel as soon as possible.
Then we started to work on my papers to get into Israel because the children and I are unvaccinated and not Israeli citizens, although I am married to an Israeli and have Israeli relatives myself.
It took us seven hours to get all the paperwork in order, and once I finally received entry approval, we were celebrating.
However, (ed.: in contradiction to reports from the Israeli government and its national carriers) the flights on Israeli airlines were being canceled left and right; they were telling us that insurance companies don’t want them to fly there, and that’s why they’re canceling their policies. We found ourselves unable to get a flight out after trying for hours. We had four different flights canceled.
The travel agent told us to try and get to Kiev, a seven-hour drive from Odessa and said maybe we could get out from there.
I started throwing everything in suitcases trying to grab everything I needed. Five minutes before we left, however, she called and told us that all the flights leaving Kiev are also being canceled and we can’t get out.
We decided that we would drive to the Moldova border and get out from there, but after we were already on our way she called us again and said we had a flight from Odessa leaving in 40 minutes if I could make it. We told her ‘yes’ and drove as fast as we could to the airport.
The flight was packed with so many women and children: there was not one empty seat. Most the of people I recognized from my own community.
The plane — a Ukrainian airline — was filled with a lot of children so it was noisy to say the least. Many families were given separate tickets, myself included, so no one was sitting next to their own children. Everyone was scrambling trying to get seats together with their families.
I managed to get three seats together for me and my two kids (the baby was on my lap). We arrived to Israel and everything seemed to go very smoothly; there were a lot of lines and showing of paperwork, and the corona test. But it was all very pleasant, and everyone was very helpful. It took only around 90 minutes to get out of the airport.
Now I am at my mother-in-law’s in Jerusalem; I am a little worried though. No one really knows what will happen even though there is also a chance it won’t be as bad as people are saying.
Right now I am just praying for the families that had to stay behind and for my husband, that if God forbid things deteriorate they will be able to find a way out.
* * * *
At present, all Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries in the country have said they are remaining in Ukraine, come what may. “When I left, they seemed very calm about the situation,” Ahuva told JewishPress.com. “The children still have school there as usual.”
When asked about antisemitism in Odessa, she replied that she experienced nothing of the sort in that city, because “there is a huge Jewish community and most people here have Jewish roots.”
But in Uman, a three and a half hour drive from Odessa, the situation was quite different, she said. Ahuva and her husband traveled often to Uman, where the Tomb of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov is located, and there, she said, she had “very bad” experiences.
“I have not been allowed in certain shops or swimming pools just because I am a Jew. I have also been told that i need to pay more money for the same services just because I am Jewish,” she related.
In response to a question about whether Gentile Ukrainians will blame the Jews for the impending conflict, Ahuva replied, “It is possible. The Ukrainian President (Volodymyr Zelensky) is Jewish, and people are saying there is a chance that he may be blamed for this situation — and if so, all other Jews also by default.
“But I am not sure that will actually happen,” she added. “I am more concerned about the chances that if there is a war, that crime will go up, and they will steal from Jewish homes.”
When this writer pointed out that stealing from Jewish homes is also a form of antisemitism, the young mother replied reluctantly, “Yes it is.”
Zelensky: ‘We Are Told Feb. 16 Will Be Day of Attack’
On Monday, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed in a dramatic televised speech to his nation that it appears this coming Wednesday (Feb. 16) will indeed be “the day of attack” on the country by Russia.
“We are told that February 16th will be the day of attack,” he said, adding, “We will make it a Union Day. A decree has already been signed; this Wednesday afternoon we will hang national flags, put on blue-yellow ribbons and show the world our unity.”
It is estimated there are now at least 130,000 Russian troops — a sufficient force for a massive invasion of its neighbor — ranged along the borders of Ukraine complete with air, sea and ground forces as well as the medical supplies and personnel to back up combat forces and contend with casualties.
Israel Adds Personnel at Kiev Embassy
On Monday, an additional contingent of personnel from Israel’s Foreign Ministry arrived in Kiev to help expedite exit processing for Israelis who are trying to leave.
Since last Friday, some 7,000 Israelis have registered to the Embassy site for further information about procedures for exiting in the country in what has now become a race against time.
Of those, 1,400 Israelis are already back in Israel, having arrived Sunday and Monday, according to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lior Havat, who spoke with JewishPress.com on Monday evening.
Although Israel has made contingency plans for opening a second consular location in Levov to help facilitate the exit of Israelis from the country, that site has not yet been opened, Havat said.
There are an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 Israelis and some 150,000 to 200,000 non-Israeli Jews in Ukraine.
United Hatzalah Beefing Up Local Teams in Ukraine
On Monday evening, the United Hatzalah emergency medical response service issued a statement saying its organization is sending a shipment of additional equipment and medical supplies to Ukraine “to prepare for any eventuality.”
A spokesperson for the organization said, “Due to the current tense security situation following rumors of an impending invasion from Russia into Ukraine, United Hatzalah will be strengthening its teams in Kiev, Uman, and Odessa, in order to provide a continuous medical response in the Jewish communities as the needs arise.
“As the situation in Ukraine worsens, consultations have taken place between the management of the United Hatzalah in Israel, and other relevant parties, to enable the continued provision of medical response to the Jewish communities in Ukraine.
“At this stage, it has been decided that the rescue teams will remain where they are and will continue their lifesaving activities as usual.
“In the coming days, additional life-saving medical equipment will be sent in order to prepare the volunteers and communities for any scenario that may arise.”
President and founder of United Hatzalah, Eli Beer, added, “We support the Ukrainian people and the Jewish communities throughout Ukraine and we are praying for their well-being. . .We will be constantly monitoring and reassessing the situation. A special shipment of additional medical equipment will arrive in Kyiv in the coming days, to help the volunteers prepare for any eventuality. Hopefully, they will not need it.”
In addition to the equipment, a small team of United Hatzalah personnel are also being sent to Ukraine, “but they won’t be staying long,” a spokesperson said. “We currently have close to 50 local volunteers there in the three locations. Some are Israelis who moved there, or live there for a certain period of time each year.”
For those currently in Ukraine, the contact number to reach United Hatzalah nationwide is: +380638001221.
