ICEJ WELCOMES LATEST ALIYAH FLIGHT OF ETHIOPIAN JEWS

BY ANNALIESE JOHNSON

In late March, the tarmac at Ben Gurion Airport was abuzz with activity, music and welcome banners, as a group of ICEJ staff –Israeli flags and candy in hand – eagerly awaited the arrival of a flight with 155 Ethiopian Jewish immigrants on board. The youngest was just four months old, while the eldest was 70 years old.

home at last. Women dressed in traditional white dresses smiled shyly as they accepted Israeli flags. Young mothers proudly carried their babies on their backs as fathers in their nicest suits gently led their daughters by the hand down the stairs to be welcomed with treats and more Israeli flags.

A testament of God’s faithfulness and care, these Ethiopian families had waited for many long years to be reunited with close relatives who came to Israel in prior decades, and now they can be together in the Land they all dreamed of reaching. For the younger generations on the flight, this journey meant meeting relatives for the first time, such as grandparents who could finally embrace their grandchildren in warm hugs.

The Ethiopian Jewish community, which traces its roots back to the time of King Solomon’s reign, if not even further back to the time of Moses and his Ethiopian wife (Numbers 12:1), has been through intense trials and adversity but is strong and committed to starting over in Israel.

Sponsored by the Christian Embassy, this Aliyah flight not only was a homecoming for Jewish exiles returning to Israel, but it also united families who have been separated for years and in some cases even decades. Despite the ongoing strikes and protests related to Israel’s proposed judicial reforms, Aliyah never stops! These olim were joyfully welcomed and directed to various absorption centers to start their lives afresh in the Land of Israel.

The Aliyah flight arrived just in time for these Ethiopian Jewish families to celebrate the Passover festival for the first time in the Promised Land. God is still delivering His people today! As the Hebrew prophet Zephaniah said: “From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, My worshipers, the daughter of My dispersed ones, shall bring My offering.” (Zephaniah 3:10)

These latest newcomers are part of the Israeli government’s “Rock of Israel II” operation, which was launched last year to bring 3,000 Ethiopian olim to Israel by this summer. With this flight, we celebrated crossing the 2,000 mark. Their arrival was extra special, as they came right before Israel also marked Yom HaAliyah, a day to honour all the new immigrants who have made the journey home over the past 100 years and more.

Faces glowing with excitement and awe, many of the Ethiopian immigrants knelt to kiss the ground as they set their eyes upon the Promised Land for the first time. One man, out of exuberance, raised his arms to the sky and shouted praises to God for bringing him

For these newest arrivals, many challenges await as cultural and language barriers must be bridged. Landing at Ben Gurion Airport is only the beginning of a journey that can take years before the immigrants feel fully integrated. Upon arrival, families will go to absorption centers across the country, including in Safed, Haifa, Beit Alfa, Beersheva, Arad and Ibim.

Thanks to your generous support, the ICEJ is able to sponsor Aliyah flights like this and assist Jewish immigrants in getting settled in their new homes.

Help us bring home to Israel more Jewish families from Ethiopia and other lands far and wide.