ALIYAH VILLAGE OFFERS ETHIOPIAN IMMIGRANTS SOFT LANDING IN ISRAEL

BY ANNALIESE JOHNSON

In May, an ICEJ team visited the Beit Alfa immigrant village in northern Israel to meet Ethiopian Jewish families we recently sponsored on an Aliyah flight and see how they were faring in their new homes.

Opened in 2007, Beit Alfa offers the first homes in Israel for many olim (new immigrants) from Ethiopia. The absorption center features 141 ground-level homes, animals grazing, surrounding agricultural fields, and smiling children playing soccer, all under the shadow of Mt. Gilboa. This rural setting is reminiscent of the place they left behind and thus provides these families a ‘soft-landing’ spot in Israel.

Warmly welcomed by the director, Moran, we felt the stresses of citylife fade as we enjoyed traditional Ethiopian coffee and bread. Moran explained that the rural setting helps the new arrivals feel comfortable after their long-awaited journey to Israel, as opposed to the urban bustle of Jerusalem or Tel Aviv. It was truly a natural setting, as we watched elderly Ethiopian men harvest spices from the community garden.

There can be many potential setbacks in the Aliyah process, so having a sense of home lessens the shock of landing in a new land with a completely different language and culture. While the flight from Ethiopia takes only four hours, the gap from rural Ethiopia to hi-tech Israel is like leaping ahead hundreds of years.

“We welcome the olim, help them integrate and connect them to Israeli society, so they can begin a new future”, explained Moran. “These families came with little beyond a few personal items and their children in tow. Here, they receive love, care, and assistance with finances, education options, and job training.” money for a new home. Older immigrants help the newer ones, and all send money back to struggling family members still waiting in Ethiopia for their turn to reach Israel.

The most memorable part of the visit was being welcomed into the humble home of Kaleb and Abira,* two Ethiopian newcomers who arrived on an ICEJ-sponsored flight just before Passover in April. As Kaleb and Abira shared their story through a translator, we were curious to know how long they had waited to come and when they got the news of their flight.

“I felt that I was born anew when I heard that I had been approved to make aliyah. We were very happy”, exclaimed Kaleb, who waited 25 years to step foot on the Land of Israel.

The flight enabled the family to reunite with Kaleb’s three brothers and Abira’s brother and sister, who had arrived a few years ago. Kaleb shared how emotional that meeting was for them and how he wanted to urge other families to not give up hope. Unfortunately, the joy of seeing family here also meant the grief of saying goodbye to parents and other family members left behind for now.

In ‘Operation Rock of Israel’, the Israeli government decided to bring another 3,000 Ethiopian Jews home to Israel, with over 2,500 already landed and the remainder hopefully set to arrive by July.

Like so many other Ethiopian newcomers, Kaleb lacks any formal education while Abira has eight years of schooling. When asked about their dreams for the future, Abira expressed her desire to see both of her children study and learn to a high level.

When asked what gave them strength as they waited for 25 long years, the couple exclaimed: “We never stopped believing. Dreams do come true. Though, if God hadn’t helped, it would never have happened… It happened in God’s timing.”

As we parted, the couple thanked the Christian Embassy for our help and encouraged us to continue assisting other Ethiopian families to reunite with close relatives already in the Land.

Thanks to all our friends and supporters worldwide, it has been possible for Kaleb and Abira, and many other Ethiopian Jews, to come home to Israel. We invite you to partner with us in assisting more Jewish immigrants like them reach the Promised Land.

Most Ethiopian immigrants stay at the Aliyah center for three years, with the first year dedicated to learning Hebrew and Judaism, and the remaining time devoted to working and saving