Alex Rif: How a personal aliyah story became public work

Alex Rif, a repatriate from Ukraine who arrived in Israel in 1991, turned her personal aliyah experience into public activism. She founded the 'Cultural Brigade' and the NGO 'Million Lobby', and succeeded in getting the 'Kol Zchut' website translated into Russian. In the summer of 2026, Rif joined Gadi Eisenkot's 'Yashar!' party, where she developed a program to improve the situation of repatriates.

Alex Rif, a repatriate from Chernivtsi who arrived in Israel in 1991 at the age of five, turned her personal aliyah experience into a public and cultural program. Raised in Netanya, she served in the IDF, earned a degree from the Hebrew University, and worked at the Ministry of Economy. In 2015, Rif founded the 'Cultural Brigade' movement for Russian-speaking Israelis of the 'half-generation', and later established the NGO 'Million Lobby'. The organization succeeded in getting the 'Kol Zchut' website translated into Russian and contributed to the 2023 decision to establish the Heritage Center for Jews of the USSR in Rishon LeZion. Rif also created the documentary series 'Half-Generation' and published the book 'More Jewish Than You'. In the summer of 2026, she joined Gadi Eisenkot's 'Yashar!' party, where she developed a program to improve the situation of repatriates, including Hebrew study, employment, and support for the elderly.