Volume 7, Issue 11 / Cheshvan 5765 / November 2004

"Today, I'm Earning Money. I Could Never Have Done It Without the Jewish Agency."

Ella Hisamiv

How does a penniless new immigrant who doesn't know Hebrew succeed in business in four years? With ingenuity, hard work, stick-to-itiveness, a bit of luck - and lots of help from the Jewish Agency.

Growing up in Russia, "I felt ashamed to be a Jew," recalls Ella Hisamiv. "Although I don't remember any specific remarks anti-Semitic comments or experiences in my adulthood, I somehow had the feeling that Jews were 'Grade B.'"

In recent years, that changed, however. "Each year more Jews are coming out of the woodworks," says her husband Rustan. I used to introduce her by saying, 'This is my wife-she's 100% Jewish!" Despite the changing atmosphere in Russia, following a three-week visit to Israel Ella, announced: "That's it! We're moving." The couple arrived in Israel in April 1998, together with their young son.

The Hisamivs moved to the Negev town of Arad, to be near Ella's parents and sisters who had made aliyah earlier. Ella went to ulpan, and continued to study bookkeeping in a course sponsored by the Ministry of Labor. Her husband, however, was itching to get out into the workplace. He dropped out of ulpan and within three months of his arrival, began to work as a driver in a furniture store. "But I always had business on the brain," says Rustan, speaking in excellent, but heavily accented Hebrew. He approached the Jewish Agency office in Beersheva and announced: "I want to open a furniture moving business." The representative helped him draw up a business plan. Unfortunately, he was unable to find a van at a price he could afford. He began to scour Arad's industrial zone, looking for a niche.

Rostan Hisimav found a niche in the market producing tiles.

When two ceramics stores went bankrupt, this gave him opportunity he was looking for. "I'm opening up a plant to produce tile," he announced to Ella. Once again he approached the Jewish Agency, which gave him a loan of NIS 35,000 (which eventually became a grant). He received an additional loan of $15,000 on excellent terms. Once again, the Jewish Agency helped him develop a business plan and provided assistance with paperwork.

Rustan purchased a saw and a vehicle. Irina took a course in entrepreneurship sponsored by the Jewish Agency. For two years the couple worked alone. "I induced people to come by offering gifts, giving discounts, and the like," he recalls. Now his business is expanding and he is providing tiles for hotels in the Dead Sea Area and Tel Aviv. "Today, I have experience, I have workers, I'm earning money," summarizes Rustan. "I could never have done it without the Jewish Agency."

Written by: Shifra Paikin
Photos by: Simon Peretz

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