Berkley Center

Israel, though known as the land of the Jewish people, is extremely diverse. One of the most fascinating populations within Israel is the Ethiopian Jewry. Israel's Law of Return entitles any Jew to immigrate and settle in Israel. Jewish immigrants receive full citizenship rights immediately upon making Aliyah. When the Jewish population in Ethiopia felt oppressed, they came in waves to Israel. The first operation was Operation Moses in 1984 to 1985, in which 8,000 Ethiopian Jews were brought from Sudan to Israel. The second was covert Operation Solomon, in which 12,345 Ethiopians were flown via Israel's national airline, El Al, to Israel.

Most people think of Jews as coming from Eastern Europe, or from Spain and Morocco. Very few understand how a Jewish population ended up in Ethiopia. Ethiopian Jews claim that they are descendents of Queen Sheba, the wife of King Solomon. Ethiopia was home to a thriving Jewish culture, but it was slowly being oppressed by the government. The first modern contact with the now oppressed community came in 1769 when the Scottish explorer James Bruce stumbled upon them while searching for the source of the Nile River.

Israel jumped on this opportunity to congregate more Jews in the holy land. The head rabbi of Israel claimed that the Ethiopian Jews were descendants of the Tribe of Dan (one of the twelve tribes of Israel—Dan was thought to be one of the ten lost tribes until contact was made with Ethiopian Jewry). All the Ethiopians came to Israel, and you would think they lived happily ever after.

But alas, just like other minorities in other countries, Ethiopians have had a hard time fitting in among other Israelis. When Ethiopians arrived after Operation Solomon, public housing in Israel's main cities had all been occupied already by mass immigration from the Soviet Union. As a result, thousands of Ethiopian immigrants lived in temporary mobile homes, or caravanim, upon arrival. Over 10,000 Ethiopians lived in absorption centers, originally meant to be temporary accommodations.

The absorption centers were designed to instigate a formalized integration process for the Ethiopians into mainstream Israeli society. Many people thought the centers were a great and helpful idea, but many others resisted the centers and wanted to keep their original cultures. Ethiopian immigrants have had a lot of trouble with unemployment, lack of education, illiteracy, and illness. Because of this, Israel gives four times the amount of aid to Ethiopian immigrants than it does to any other immigrant population.

With these funds, the Ethiopian population is beginning to spread around Israel instead of being segregated into small areas, like southern Tel Aviv. Ethiopians have established cultural centers to learn more about African Jewry. They are also slowly receiving better jobs, housing, and educations. Israelis have a lot to learn from the tolerant, vibrant Ethiopian culture, and more and more Israelis are realizing that by the day.