Youth Community
Aid Ukraine
Order Why Israel Resources
Support our ministry
Subscribe newsletter
Israel & Christians Today
Biblical understanding about Israel
Bring the Jews Home: Ethiopia
By Sara van Oordt
In the last three months I have been to Ethiopia several times. In the first place to witness the Aliyah (return of Jews to Israel) of the Bèta Israel, the last few thousands of the tribe of Ethiopian Jews who are waiting for a ‘go’ to finally go to Israel. Christians for Israel Holland has been supporting this project of Aliyah for the last 15 years. Secondly I was there together with a film crew of a Dutch national Christian broadcaster, who makes a film documentary on the Beta Israel.
I was deeply touched by the true and genuine desire of the Ethiopian Jews to go to Israel. They have no clue what to expect when arriving to Israel (even though they get education about it), but they decide to follow a lifelong, generations-long dream to go to the land of their ancestors, Zion.
During my time in Ethiopia, we were especially involved in the life-story of one particular person and his wife and two sons. He is a man of 33 years old. Seven years ago he decided to leave his village, his family, his life (he was a farmer) to go to the city of Gondar (in the north of Ethiopia), where a few thousand Jews are living, waiting for an okay of the Israeli embassy to go to Israel. For seven years he waited in Gondar, until he finally heard in the 
synagogue (more like a barrack, see picture) that he could go to Israel. We were there, to witness and to film this special moment. Our camera crew was there when he got his Hebrew lessons, when his children learned Hebrew songs, when his passport picture was taken, when he got his vaccinations, and when he finally took the bus to the capital, Addis Abeba, from where he went with the airplane to Israel.
It was a unique experience to witness the Olim-flight (Olim is the Hebrew word for the new immigrants) to Israel. To arrive at Ben Gurion airport (Tel Aviv) with 100 olim, when they exit the airplane, go down the steps and kiss the ground they have been longing for, for so many centuries. No words can describe what I saw there. Is there anything more beautiful than seeing a dream fulfilled?
A flight of 4 hours from Addis Abeba to Tel Aviv, means for them actually a gigantic step of 2000 years in time. The majority of the Ethiopian Jews cannot read or write, and have never heard about a computer. In 1,5 years, the Israeli government teaches them the basics of Hebrew, Judaism, computer lessons, but also very basic stuff as how to survive in a modern country. How to use a toilet, a gas cooker, how to get a bank account, how to get a mortgage, etc.
Many people asked me why we support this work of Aliyah. My answer to them is very simple. Why wouldn’t we do it? We know that it has been described countless times in the Bible: God is bringing back his people. We can see it happen before our eyes today. After two thousand years of diaspora, the Jews can finally be united in their own land.
The Ethiopian Jews do not know what they can expect in Israel. And yes, their lives in Israel will not be easy, that’s for sure (they have difficulties in adapting to language, culture and lifestyle). That is absolutely true. But they have their dreams and their ultimate desire (their whole life is focused on being able to go to Israel). How then would we not help them to fulfil their dream?