Eye On the Middle East Sep/Oct 2013

Though lacking the pizazz of typical rags-to-riches stories, the saga of the thousands of Ethiopians who have immigrated to Israel is one worth telling. In many ways, their experience is similar to those of others who came: They endured anti-Semitism and persecution, and many heard an inexplicable voice calling them to their ancient homeland.

But their story is also different because they faced challenges unlike those of other immigrants, most of whom came from developed nations; and knitting the Ethiopians into the fabric of the tiny country has posed a unique challenge. But Israel has risen to the occasion.

In Ethiopia, these people are known as Falashas (“aliens, outcasts”). They lived and scratched out an impoverished existence like many other Africans, and the color of their skin makes them look like other Africans. But the government treated them like outcasts to the point of exile and starvation. Why? Because they are Jews. They call themselves Beta Israel (“House of Israel”). From the squalor of their thatched huts, they read from the Torah, followed biblical practices, and considered Jerusalem the Holy City.

Though the chief rabbis from 45 countries affirmed them as Jewish in 1908, the Ashkenazic and Sephardic chief rabbis did not concur and worried they would present a shanda fur di goyim (Yiddish for “an embarrassment in front of the non-Jews”). In the first 25 years of its existence, the State of Israel did little to advocate for Beta Israel.

Meanwhile, these Ethiopian Jews endured more persecution, mass starvation, and sometimes even slavery. Finally, in 1972, Sephardi Chief Rabbi Ovadia Yosef declared, “Falashas are Jews.” Three years later Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Shlomo Goren agreed, calling them “brothers” and declaring, “You are Jews.”

Once this official declaration was made, four waves of immigration spanning more than 30 years brought 33,000 Ethiopian Jews to Israel. Operation Moses, which flew more than 7,000 to Israel in approximately six weeks, and Operation Solomon, which flew 15,000 in a mere 36 hours, are among the greatest immigration achievements in Israel’s history.

But mainstreaming Beta Israel into Israeli society has been a challenge. Unlike previous immigrants, who were well-educated and white, these immigrants from the Third World were primitive and black.

To say they experienced culture shock in Israel is an understatement. They were not familiar with bathrooms, electricity, or the Hebrew language—to name a few things. To address their situation immediately, the government created absorption centers to house and train these new Israelis for at least a year, teaching them the language and culture.

For many, especially the elderly, adjusting to Israeli life remains a challenge. In a recent survey, the Industry, Trade and Labor Ministry found that Ethiopians are the least likely people to be hired. They rank last by employers, even behind Muslim Arabs.

Yet the story here is the determination of Israel and Beta Israel to work together to overcome these challenges. In 1999 Avraham Yitzhak became the first Ethiopian immigrant to earn a medical degree. In 2000 the female-owned Ethiopian Embroidery Center was established, selling its goods to a fair-trade store in Tel Aviv. In 2009, Tzion Shenkor became the first Ethiopian to be promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Israel Defense Forces. In February 2012 the Foreign Ministry named Belaynesh Zevadia the first Israeli of Ethiopian origin as ambassador to Ethiopia. This past January, the first Ethiopian woman was elected to the Knesset; and in February, 21-year-old Yityish Aynaw was crowned Miss Israel 2013.  

When Foreign Minister Belaynesh Zevadia was interviewed about the challenges Ethiopians face in Israel, she said, “We start with one….Our community has a lot of problems, yes, but we ourselves are the solution.”

In a world that condemns Israel as an apartheid, racist, imperialist country, the Beta Israel story is one that proves the world wrong.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Features

No Surprises, Please

On October 6, 1973, 40 years ago, Israel was wrapped in prayer shawls, observing the holiest of Jewish religious observances, the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). Radio was silenced...

The Jewish Family Promise

The call of Abraham in Genesis 12 is one of the most significant events in the biblical record. Although there is no way to know when the patriarch was born, scholars place his birth around...

Land Rights of the Patriarchs

For centuries people have argued over who has the legitimate claim to the land known today as Israel. The Arab-Israeli conflict has raged for decades, with both sides claiming exclusive rights...

The British Mandate

World War I (1914–1918) changed the map of the old Ottoman Empire in the Middle East. The region was split into two great sections. The northern half went to France (the French Mandate)...

The Continual Jewish Presence

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is convinced the phrase “2,000 years of exile” is inaccurate. It is used to describe the almost 2,000-year dispersion of the Jewish people between...


Share Your Story.
Has God used The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry in your life? Share your story with us!
 

Subscription Options

1 Year Digital Subscription

  • Free PDF Book Download - "What on Earth is God Doing?" by Renald Showers

  • Free Full-Issue Flipbook & PDF Download of Current Issue

$9.99 every 1 year

1 Year Digital with Archive Access

  • Free PDF Book Download - "What on Earth is God Doing?" by Renald Showers

  • Free Full-Issue Flipbook & PDF Downloads of Current Issue & select Archives

  • Complete Access to our Growing Archives

$19.99 every 1 year

2 Year Digital Subscription

  • Free PDF Book Download - "What on Earth is God Doing?" by Renald Showers

  • Free Full-Issue Flipbook & PDF Download of Current Issue

$19.99 every 2 years

2 Year Digital with Archive Access

  • Free PDF Book Download - "What on Earth is God Doing?" by Renald Showers

  • Free Full-Issue Flipbook & PDF Downloads of Current Issue & select Archives

  • Complete Access to our Growing Archives

$39.99 every 2 years

3 Year Digital Subscription

  • Free PDF Book Download - "What on Earth is God Doing?" by Renald Showers

  • Free Full-Issue Flipbook & PDF Download of Current Issue

$29.99 every 3 years

3 Year Digital with Archive Access

  • Free PDF Book Download - "What on Earth is God Doing?" by Renald Showers

  • Free Full-Issue Flipbook & PDF Downloads of Current Issue & select Archives

  • Complete Access to our Growing Archives

$59.99 every 3 years