The northern Israeli city of Nof Hagalil has opened its doors to hundreds of Ukrainian Jews fleeing the ongoing Russian attack on their homeland.
Under the city's municipality office, volunteers unloaded blankets and clothes donated by the city's residents for the refugees who managed to make their way to Israel amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which on Tuesday entered its 12th day.
"Nof Hagalil is built on immigration, "We will absorb as many people as we can," said Nof Hagalil Mayor Ronen Plot, who arrived in Israel nearly 50 years ago from Moldova.
After the Russian invasion began, Plot posted on Facebook, inviting Ukrainian "olim," or Jewish immigrants, to his town and urging residents to pitch in.
"If a big immigration wave arrives, we'd be happy to take part in the Israeli effort," he wrote.
Under Israel's "law of return," eligible applicants with at least one Jewish parent or grandparent are entitled to citizenship.
Among those responding to Plot's invitation was Chaim Gershman, who reached Nof Hagalil on Thursday with his wife Ora and their four children. His mother Nelja, 60, arrived a day later.
He said when he arrived in Israel, he chose Nof Hagalil because of the mayor's posts.
"I saw a man inviting, saying come to our city, we'll welcome you," he said.
Plot said his community offers a familiar environment because more than half its 50,000 residents speak Russian, adding that he located 600 empty hotel rooms and 300 vacant apartments to house the Ukrainians, who are "exhausted."
"They endured a lot of misery, they are hungry and tired and it's awful," he said.
Republished with permission from i24NEWS