Aqua – “I am left with an emptiness that no words can fill.”

“My name is Aqua, I am 74 years old, a mother of three sons, and a grandmother. I immigrated to Israel from Ethiopia 20 years ago, a journey that tested and challanged my strength. The new language and foreign culture were very strange and difficult for the entire family. Neither my husband, nor my children, nor  myself attended an ulpan to learn Hebrew. From the moment we arrived, my husband and children took on the hardest jobs, all to ensure we had enough money to live on. I stayed at home, taking care of everyone and everything. The children were already grown when we moved to Israel, and very quickly, they built their own lives. Despite all the difficulties, we managed to maintain family ties.

Four months ago, my world was shattered. I lost my husband. I am left with an emptiness that no words can fill, and the heavy grief is with me.

Recently, I found some comfort in the club at the Sephardi Home, where I met others who are experiencing similar situations. It is a place where I don’t need to explain my pain because they understand it without words.”

…I am very sorry that my children did not study and did not achieve academic degrees to succeed in life. They had to give up their dreams so that we could survive.

…When I look back, I wish we had arrived earlier, while I was still young and full of energy. Maybe then I could have learned Hebrew, started studying, and found a job. But life did not unfold that way for me.”