11/22/2021
Making the Move to Israel and Scrubbing In
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Growing up in a family of doctors in Ukraine, going back to his great grandparents, Stanislav always knew he would end up a doctor too.
“My grandpa, who was a cardiologist by profession, was a very dominant and important figure for me. He would take me to work with him so that I could sit next to him,” recalled Stanislav. “I liked the scrubs, and I thought it was the most beautiful garment in the world. I wanted to have scrubs of my own one day.”
Through the years, Stanislav and his grandfather held many conversations on various issues in the world of medicine, raising different questions and solving medical dilemmas together. Then, in the 1990s, Stanislav’s grandparents made Aliyah to Israel. “We kept talking on the phone all the time but the connection between me and my grandfather naturally dwindled. I think reconnecting with him is part of the reason I enrolled in the Ukrainian Academy of Medicine.”
Stanislav, 31, is married to Dasha, a registered nurse, and they have a six-year-old son. The family made Aliyah in April 2020, seven years after his revered grandfather passed away. “He was very proud of me that I became a doctor,” he says, “but I do wish he would have seen my practice grow in Israel too.”
Since first visiting Israel as a child, the Jewish homeland has remained in the back of Yagurov’s mind. “Even during my days at the medical school in Ukraine, I kept an eye on Israeli medicine. It interested me greatly. I kept reading research and news about it. I knew that one day I would be a part of it.”
Stanislav and Dasha first discussed immigrating to Israel a couple of years ago. “We both had outstanding jobs in Ukraine, and we were constantly busy with them,” he admits. Stanislav had always found excuses for why it was never a good time to make the move. “First, we said that our son is too young, then he was already too old to move. At one point though, we decided that it was time, and put our foot on the gas.”
But making Aliyah seemed like a not-so-easy feat when they did actually decide to make the move. The coronavirus pandemic turned the world upside down while Stanislav and his family were in the midst of their Aliyah process. Luckily, The Jewish Agency was able to still provide the tools for the family to make Aliyah regardless of COVID restrictions.
“We were not going to let the coronavirus stop us,” said Stanislav. “We made our decision to move and we were going to make that move no matter what, and The Jewish Agency really helped us prepare for a Corona Aliyah.”
As an immigrant surgeon, Stanislav must participate in some specialized medical training and also better his Hebrew skills in order to be the best doctor for his new home, Israel. But despite the logistical challenges and required professional learning, there is no place he’d rather be.
“My recommendation to all my family and friends is to make Aliyah as soon as possible. The medicine here is better, the children are treated better, the value of life here is beautiful. I’m discovering how wonderful the language is too!”
