Magda
Housemother - with all her heart, each and every moment
Magda has been working at the Ebenezer Home since 2012, and three of those years as the house mother. Her daily tasks are very diverse, like those of a mother ... ;)
She makes sure, the residents are well off, their rooms are furnished according to their needs, and if they have specific needs, she goes and shops for them. Another part of her daily work is domestic economics. Every week Magda meets with the kitchen staff to plan the menu, taking into account the diets of the individual residents. Magda also is the first person to contact about laundry and house cleaning. In short: She oversees everything related to the domestic economy. During the year, she organizes various feast celebrations for the residents in the Ebenezer Home or the adjacent garden. Magda is also in regular contact with suppliers, compares prices, and orders food.
The ambience at Ebenezer is very friendly. It feels like a second home to her, and Magda enjoys being at Ebenezer. She explains, "In my daily work, I experience how God gives me the strength, wisdom, and joy to accomplish all tasks. He brought me here. For me it's a privilege to serve Him and the residents here, and it's incredibly fun for me. I want to work for Him with all my heart, each and every moment."
Portrait of Ilana, paintet by a volunteer
Ilana Hirchenson
1930 - 2020
Born in a Small Village in Transylvania
Ilana was born in 1930 in a small village near Sibiu in Transylvania at the foot of the beautiful Carpathian Mountains in Romania. She was the youngest of seven children, two girls, and five boys. Her family belonged to the Romanian Orthodox Church and attended services regularly. In spite of this, Ilana felt that she did not have a personal relationship with God.
After finishing high school in her village, Ilana studied and graduated from a horticultural college. When she was in her late twenties, she met Sammy at a common friend's party. He was Jewish and some business matters had brought him to Sibiu from Bucharest. They dated at a distance for a while and then Sammy moved to Sibiu, where they were married.
Although both were Romanian and shared a similar culture, their life together was not easy. Their backgrounds were different; she was a Christian ad he was Jewish. Ilana's family thought that Jewish people were strange. Despite this, they were charmed by Sammy's friendliness, welcomed him, and enjoyed having him at family gatherings. Sammy's family was not so kind to Ilana. His sisters married Jewish men and frowned at a Gentile woman. No matter how pleasant she was, Ilana received a cold reception in Sammy's family. Family gatherings with his family occurred very rarely due to the fact that they lived in Bucharest. Later, after their mother passed away, Sammy's father and two sisters with their families immigrated to Israel.
Hoping for a Better Life in Israel
Ten years later, in 1972, when their only daughter, Rachel, was twelve, Sammy and Ilana also sought to immigrate to Israel, where they were hoping for a better life. The Communist Party made life difficult in Romania. But now, in retrospect, the real reason for moving to Israel was not only the desire to find a better life, but also to find a real life. In Israel, in the land where Jesus was born, the whole family met Him.
After studying Hebrew in ulpan, Rachel started attending regular school. She needed a Bible in Romanian to keep up with the Bible classes in Hebrew, which were difficult for her. A friend at school told her of a bookstore in Haifa where she could find one. Ilana went with Rachel to the shop where they found Bibles in different languages, including Romanian.
Beit Eliahu Congregation
However, the Bible was not the only thing they found they also met Frida Varon, who worked in the store and was known to many as an evangelist. She was from Romania. She shared the gospel with Ilana and invited her to her congregation, which was attended by many Romanian Jewish believers. Craving some Romanian culture, Ilana was happy to attend Beit Eliahu. That is when she really started reading the Bible and putting her personal trust in Jesus. She told Sammy about her newfound faith. He did not object to it, reasoning that since she was born in a Christian family, it made sense for her to follow Jesus and to attend congregational meetings.
Sammy and Rachel started coming to the congregation as well, but for a long time felt that Jesus was not for them as Jewish people, although they met other Jewish believers.
Ilana continued to pray for them. Through her gentle witness and the grace of the Lord, her prayers were answered. Both Sammy and Rachel came to know the lord personally.
Working and living in the Ebenezer Home
Ilana worked in the Ebenezer Home for over twenty years as a nurse's aide, tending to and gently encouraging the residents. Her knowledge of the Romanian language was especially helpful with the Romanian-speaking residents. Even after retiring, she continued to visit them, hold their hand, encourage them with a word from the scriptures, and take them to hospital visits. Some of these residents wanted only Ilana to take them to their appointments.
In 2002, Ilana herself entered the Ebenezer Home as a resident. Now she receives the same loving care that she used to give to others.