From the Promised Land to the Prairies: Inesa’s Journey from Aliyah to Alberta

by Jana Zalmanowitz, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

(AJNews) – Inesa’s connection to Israel began not that long ago. She moved from Ukraine in 2020 through the Masa program which gives people an opportunity live in Israel through various immersive and professional experiences. After seven months in the program, Inesa was hooked. She decided to make Aliyah.

“Israel tests you,” she says reflecting on the process of building a new life there. Life in Israel was not easy, but she loved it. She began working as an immigration consultant and soon met Alex. Although not born Jewish, Alex had felt a pull to Israel and moved from Russia a few years before. They enjoyed life in Israel together, surrounded by Jewish culture, sipping Aroma Café coffee by the sea. They got married.

Then October 7^th changed everything.

With the outbreak of war, life in Israel became more unpredictable. The couple began to consider moving elsewhere. Inesa still had family in Ukraine, but there was war happening there as well. Once Inesa and Alex found out they were expecting a baby, she especially felt the need to expedite their decision. “I wanted to deliver the baby somewhere safe and not in a shelter,” she explains. “I didn’t want to worry about that, so we decided to try to come to Canada.”

Like many Israelis arriving in Canada, the couple’s first stop was Toronto, drawn by its large Jewish population. While the familiar presence of places like Aroma café provided some familiarity, find work was difficult. Inesa recalls going into a store to ask about job openings. The owner told her that almost every hour someone came in looking for a job and there weren’t any.

After researching other options, they decided Calgary might offer better job prospects and the calm atmosphere they were seeking.

Alex soon found work in his field as a cook. The transition was challenging. Despite his training and experience, he faced a significant wage difference between Israel and Canada, as well as a very different workplace culture in Canadian kitchens. Over the past few years, however, he has begun to find greater success in his career and was recently promoted.

Outside of work, Alex is also exploring Jewish life more deeply. He is currently taking conversion classes through Beth Tikvah and hopes to attend synagogue more regularly. Balancing synagogue life with work can be difficult, however. “In Calgary, you really need cooks on Friday and Saturday—exactly when synagogue services are happening,” Inesa explains.

Inesa faced her own transition. When she first arrived, she found work in retail but because she moved at 20 weeks pregnant, she soon became a stay-at-home mom to their daughter Ariella. This was a challenging time. Alongside adjusting to motherhood, Inesa was adapting yet again, adapting to life in a new country and working to become more fluent in her third language, English. Despite the difficulties, Inesa made the effort to go out and build connections within the Jewish community. Like many first-time parents, Inesa has found support through programs geared toward young children. She enjoys attending PJ Library’s tot Shabbat at the JCC and takes Ariella there for swimming lessons. Having a Jewish space brings a sense of familiarity to her new home.

Another important source of comfort is family. Inesa’s parents now live in Calgary as well, having left Ukraine amid the ongoing war. “That’s one benefit of Calgary: grandparents,” she says.

When discussing the life she and Alex are creating in Alberta, Inesa emphasizes the calm and stability they feel. “We can have a stable life forever here. We can buy a home, a car. For our daughter it’s a huge benefit,” she says, echoing the hopes of many parents who move to provide future opportunity for their children.

At the same time, preserving their connection to Israel remains deeply important.  Inesa says they will prioritize Jewish and Hebrew education for Ariella so that, if she wants, she can return to Israel. That possibility is something both Inesa and Alex continue to hold close. Inesa says that Israeli society offers a sense of freedom for children that she hasn’t yet seen in Canada. “Kids are so loved in Israel,” she says, referring to how she feels Israeli society has many aspects that are truly built to include children.

The distinctive Israeli ruach (spirited energy)  is also something she misses. “I hated people in Israel when I first came because they were always arguing, yelling and screaming,” she says laughing. “But then I got used to it and they’re incredible, they’re happy. They enjoy every day.”

For now, Inesa and Alex appreciate the stability they have found in Calgary. They are doing something they have done before, navigating new friendships, language and work in a new country. Whether Calgary will remain their long-term home is something they have not yet decided.

“I believe, I hope there will be a peaceful time in Israel,” says Inesa. Moving to Israel takes a certain amount of chutzpah, and as she described, “Israel tests you.” But she’s not sure if she’s ready to commit to Calgary, feeling the pull of the first place that drew her away from Ukraine. “I don’t know how it happens. Israel calls you. It just calls you back home.”