On August 12th, 2008 Vazha and Irina Mamisashvili and their two young sons Nikoloz, 8, and David, 5, were airlifted to Israel during the height of the war in Georgia. They arrived at Ben Gurion airport emotionally and physically drained, but with incredible hope for the future. They were home.

The entrance to Kibbutz Masada, in the Jordan Valley - the Mamisashvili's new home.

Two weeks later, the Mamisashvili family is living on Kibbutz Masada, in the Jordan Valley. They are part of the Jewish Agency's First Home in the Homeland program, in which new immigrant families are directly absorbed by Kibbutzim around the country.

"Israel is our first home," says Vazha with pride. "Georgia is our second home."

A recent visit with the family indicates just how pleased both Vazha and Irina are with their decision to go directly to a Kibbutz. "It was really the decision of our sons," says Irina, 29, shyly. "When we were thinking about making aliyah before the war, the Jewish Agency emissary showed us a number of options. When the boys saw the video about the Kibbutz they were very excited."

8-year-old Nikoloz is adjusting quickly to Kibbutz life.

"We wanted to do what was best for our children," says Vazha, 39. "If they are happy, then we are happy."

The Mamisashvili's were living with Vazha's family on the outskirts of Tbilisi when the war broke out. Their area was bombed; a missile made an almost direct hit on their building. Vazha decided not to wait a minute longer to take his family to Israel. With the assistance of the Jewish Agency emissary, they were on their way to Israel only a few days later.

The haste and commotion surrounding their aliyah meant that the Mamisashvili's arrived with only a few suitcases filled with clothes, family pictures and some household items, including a beautiful tea set that Irina did not want to leave behind.

After being met at the airport by a Kibbutz volunteer, they were taken to their new home - a three room Kibbutz bungalow that was already equipped with living and bedroom furniture, kitchen appliances, a television, and most importantly in the stifling hot whether of the Jordan valley, an air conditioner.

David playing with new toys he received as part of the First Home in the Homeland program.

"Everyone has been so kind and helpful," says Vazha. "We have been given so much. More than the physical assistance, we have someone from the Kibbutz, Lusha, who is helping us to adjust here in Israel in every aspect of our lives."

Lusha Stav (top photo, middle), a veteran Russian immigrant who lives on Kibbutz Masada, is like a mother to the family. From day one, the Mamisashvili's have been benefiting from her strong and capable care. She introduced them to other Kibbutz members, showed them where to go shopping, took them to the bank to open a bank account, to the HMO to register for health care, to the school to sign Nikoloz up, to kindergarten to register David, who will begin immediately, and to the ulpan (Hebrew language class) for Vazha and Irina to register for the fall session. She explained to them about the "basket of services" they are entitled to from the State, including a monthly stipend to help them in their first year in Israel.

The Mamisashvili's sort their pictures from Tbilisi as they start their new life in Israel.

Lusha also arranged for Nikoloz to be tested for a hearing problem he has, and for his hearing aid to be upgraded. She will be by the side of Vazha and Irina when they meet Nikolaz's school teacher, and make sure that when he begins school on September 1 he will get the proper attention he needs to thrive and learn.

Lusha found Irina a job immediately working in the Kibbutz guest house. "Our Kibbutz has been helping new immigrants for years in cooperation with the First Home in the Homeland program and we are attuned to their needs," says Lusha matter-of-factly. "Finding employment is an immediate morale booster and provides additional economic security."

"Most of the families that I have assisted have either remained on the Kibbutz or in the area after their initial year long absorption period," says Lusha with pride.

New Israelis Vazha and Irina Mamisashvili.

"The personal care that the new immigrants receive from the First Home in the Homeland program is exceptional," says the Jewish Agency's Shai Shoshani. "The Kibbutz volunteers make the new immigrants feel at home and bring them into Kibbutz life and into Israeli society in a natural way."

Vazha, an engineer and small business entrepreneur, is very emotional about the support they have received, especially from the Jewish Agency. "The emissary in Tbilisi, Grisha Brodsky, is a great man," says Vazha. "He puts his heart and soul into helping the Georgian Jewish community. I saw all the support the Jewish Agency gives to people in Tbilisi and in Israel. They help all the time."

"After we adjust, I want to work for the Jewish Agency to help other new immigrants like us," he says firmly. "If I can give back what we received, I will be satisfied."

Irina, top left, and Vazha, bottom left, with family in their home in Georgia.

Vazha left behind his parents and younger, single brother in Tbilisi. The rest of his extended family is in Israel. "They said they will think about coming after they see how we cope," says Vazha. "The children miss their grandparents very much, but I am sure that they will eventually come here, where their only grandchildren are."

The Jewish Agency has brought 100 new immigrants from Georgia to Israel since the start of the crisis there. Another 100 Jews still in Georgia have had their request for aliyah approved and will be arriving in Israel in the coming weeks. In addition, there are several dozen more Georgian Jews who have begun the aliyah application process.

The new immigrants are now arriving on regularly scheduled flights from Tbilisi, which leave every other day to Israel; there are generally between one and two dozen olim on each flight.

"There are no other people in the world who take care of each other like the Jews," says Vazha with a slow smile.

Click here for special On the Scene updates from Georgia
from the Jewish Agency's Idan Peysahovich.

Photo credit: Azri Samin