Jewish Federations of North America are proud to announce the completion of a two-year, $9 million Ethiopian campaign, which transformed the lives of 3,170 Ethiopian olim (immigrants to Israel) and provided essential food and medicine to thousands of people in Gondar and Addis Ababa. 
 

Over 100,000 Ethiopians have now made Aliyah with the support of Jewish Federations.
 

Jewish Federations launched this two-year campaign in June 2022, after the Israeli Government announced Operation Tzur Israel (Rock of Israel) II to bring over 3,000 more Ethiopians to Israel.  The campaign continued through civil war and violent clashes in Ethiopia. In two missions to Ethiopia, over 80 Federation leaders accompanied 380 Ethiopians on flights to Israel.  

Of the $9 million raised, Jewish Federations allocated $5 million to The Jewish Agency for Israel to support the Aliyah and absorption and $4 million to Struggle to Save Ethiopian Jewry to provide humanitarian support in Ethiopia.  This is in addition to funds Jewish Federations send each year, as part of their annual campaigns, to The Jewish Agency to support Aliyah and absorption. 

 

“Through this campaign, Jewish Federations were honored to join hands with thousands of our Ethiopian brothers and sisters as they realized their dream of making Aliyah,” said David Heller, national campaign chair for Jewish Federations of North America. “We’re inspired by their courageous journey, and we will continue to work with our partner The Jewish Agency for Israel to support their absorption into Israeli society.”  

  

This two-year campaign saw Jewish Federations of North America partner with dozens of Federations, Network Communities, and the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation in a profound expression of support for Ethiopian olim.  

 
The campaign resulted in:   

- A total of 3,170 Ethiopians making Aliya  

- 1,535 men  

- 1,635 women  

- 754 families  

- 35 percent were ages 18 through 35; 39 percent were children under 18  

- 13,000 people receiving emergency food distributions   

- 1,600 young children and 275 pregnant and nursing mothers benefitting from food programs in Gondar and Addis Ababa  

- Regular lunches served to 2,800 children participating in educational programs and over 2,000 in its summer camp  

- 3,300 children under the age of 18 receiving free medical care  

- 800 seniors receiving free medical care