Ethiopia 2016 brochure final copy

R’ Micha Odenheimer received his B.A. from Yale University cum laude, in1980, received his rabbinic ordination in 1984, and immigrated to Israel in1988. He has had a varied and deep involvement with Ethiopia and Ethiopian Jews. During the year 1990 to 1991 R’ Micha reported from Ethiopia on the civil war and assisted with Operation Solomon, the aliyah of Ethiopian Jews. In 1993, R’ Micha founded the Israel Association for Ethiopian Jews (IAEJ), the first advocacy group influencing the Israeli government towards better absorption polices. It remains to this day one of the most instrumental and valued organizations dealing with the absorption of Ethiopian immigration to Israel. In 1998, R’ Micha returned to Ethiopia in order to investigate the abandoned Jews of Quara who had not been included on Aliya lists; his Jerusalem Report cover story and television appearances spurred the government to finally bring them on Aliya. R’ Micha is also the founding director of Tevel B’Tzedek, an organization that develops Jewish leadership from communities worldwide who are passionately engaged in global Tikkun Olam.