“The Jewish Agency does so much to support young new immigrants like me. When I decided to come to Israel, I knew that I wasn’t coming alone. There was an entire network of people
who were there to help me.”

Born in Smolensk, Russia, Alexey Kochetkov, 23, knew that he was Jewish, but his family didn’t talk about it, and Alexey had no idea what it meant to be a Jew. When he was 14, his friend brought him to the Jewish Agency’s youth club. “Don’t be afraid,” said his friend. “This is not against the law anymore – we are free to be Jews.”  More