Frequently Asked Questions
What are the goals of Teens for Ethiopian Jewish Aid?
Teens for Ethiopian Jewish Aid (“TEJA”) has two primary goals. First, it advocates to reunite
members of the Beta Israel who are awaiting aliyah and Addi Ababa and Gondar with
their families in Israel. Second it is dedicated to alleviating the appalling conditions
under which these forgotten internally displaced refugees, sometimes called Falash
Mura, are living.
How is it organized?
TEJA is an international organization headquartered in Atlanta. It has chapters throughout
the country. It is student run but has a distinguished advisory panel described below.
Who is eligible to join?
Any teenager whose heart is moved to alleviate the suffering of the Beta Israel
remaining in Ethiopia is eligible.
Who are the members of its Board of Advisors?
TEJA has a board of advisors consisting of experts on Ethiopian Jewry such as Rabbi Menachem Waldman, and distinguished public figures such as former Canadian Attorney General and Justice Minister Professor Irwin Cotler.
Who are the so called “Falash Mura”?
The Beta Israel (i.e. the Jews) of Ethiopia adhered faithfully to Judaism for many
centuries despite great hardship. Over the past several generations the Beta Israel were
subjected to extraordinarily severe economic and social pressures which caused a
portion of the community to stray from the traditional religious norms; like the Marranos
in Spain, many converted to Christianity, some only nominally.
Their descendants, 9500 of whom are currently present in the compounds in Gondar,
are known today in Israel as Falash Mura. Ethnically, they regard themselves and are
perceived by their Ethiopian neighbors as Beta Israel. Seventy percent of the
community has first degree relatives in Israel (parents, children siblings); almost all of
the rest have uncles, aunts, nieces and nephews, first cousins etc. Some of these family
members whom serve in Israel's armed forces. They are an inseparable part of the
Ethiopian Jewish community and yearn to be reunited with their families in Israel.
What is the nature of their current religious observance?
Over the past 15 years they have returned fully to their Jewish roots. They have
abandoned their farms, their homes and any vestige of a Christian past and immigrated
to Addis Ababa and Gondar City, which is a northwestern provincial capital. Community
members live as strictly observant Jews. They pray daily, celebrate the Sabbath and
Jewish holidays, adhere to Jewish dietary laws, keep the laws of family purity and put
on tephillin.
Do their children go to Jewish schools?
Until 2011 in Gondar the children of the Jewish community attended Jewish Day School
where they were taught Judaic studies; strictly kosher lunches were provided. The
school, established and supported by SSEJ and NACOEJ (the North American
Conference on Ethiopian Jewry), was under the supervision of a representative of the
Chief Rabbinate of Israel.
IN a resolution dated November 2010, the government of Israel, as a condition of
allowing the aliyah of 8,500 other Ethiopian Jews, obligated NACOEJ to turn over its
school to the Jewish Agency. This was done in 2011. In 2013 the Jewish Agency
closed the school when the Israeli government said there were no more Jews eligible
for aliyah remaining in Gondar or Addis. A substantial number of children who had
previously attended the school, were left with no place to continue their Jewish
education. In Addis, the Jewish school operated by NACOEJ was closed by local
authorities in 2005.The children in Addis and Gondar now attend secular schools
provided by the Ethiopian government.
Currently, both in Gondar and in Addis there are Jewish studies programs for the
children conducted by the local community with help from volunteers from Israel. With
funding, full scale programs could easily be restored.
What is the nature of their living conditions?
As internally displaced people in a country which repeatedly suffers from the ravages of
famine, the community struggles to survive under truly horrific living conditions. In one
of the poorest countries in the world, many community members are the poorest of the
poor.
Experts recommended by US and UN relief agencies have found the conditions
appalling even by Third World standards. Ninety-four percent of community members
live below the World Bank poverty line. Eighty percent lack access to a latrine. Stunting
and wasting are rampant amongst Falash Mura children. Small children, of course, are
the first to suffer from the consequences of malnutrition, which includes compromised
immune systems and opportunistic diseases which can have extremely severe
consequences.
What is the current situation relating to aliyah?
In November 2015, the government decided that the 9500 Beta Israel should be
inspected and those meeting certain criteria should be brought to Israel. It was
expected that most of the 9500 would be found eligible. However, the government didi
not implement this resolution and decided in 2016 that implementation should begin at
the rate of only 100 per month, capped at 1300, for those meeting a still narrower set of
criteria ( which would deny aliyah even to many Beta Israel who have first degree
relatives in Israel).
Implementation even of this ungenerous resolution was delayed until March 2017 when
aliyah commenced. The vast majority of Beta Israel, many of whom have been waiting
for approval for up to twenty years, have yet to have a determination made of their
eligibility.
After the first 1300 are finally brought, the government is obligated to reconsider the
situation of the remaining 8200 in connection with the preparation of its next budget.
Does the main relief institutions of American Jewry currently provide assistance?
Sadly, they do not.
More specifically, despite repeated requests, the Jewish Agency, the Joint and JFNA
(Federations) have repeatedly refused to provide assistance to the community. The
American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), the institutional relief arm of the
American Jewish community, closed its Ethiopian medical clinics in 2013.
Both JAFI and JDC do provide humanitarian aid in Ethiopia, but only for non-Jews. JDC
claims it is from special funds provided for non-Jews only.
Recently in response to a request by the heads of the three relevant Knesset
Committees and several Deputy Speakers of the Knesset., SSEJ (PUT IN LINK) funded
a medical program for children under the age of five and together with NACOEJ -
PROVIDE LINK a nutrition program for children 0 – 3 whom a staff of doctors
determined are significantly chronically malnourished. The programs would be
expanded per the physicians’ request but SSEJ lacks the necessary funding. One of
TEJA’s goals is to raise funds to expand the program to include 4 and 5 year old
chronically malnourished children.
The Jewish Federations of North America has thus far declined to fund REQUESTS for
funding to provide medical care for all of the children and to feed malnourished children
from ages 3 – 5. It is hoped that individual federations might provide funding but thus far
this has not happened.
Does the State of Israel provide assistance?
No. The State of Israel has never provided humanitarian assistance to this distressed
Jewish community and there is no indication of a change in its position.
Is there hope for an improvement in the grave humanitarian situation?
The real solution of course is to facilitate rapid aliyah which would immediately alleviate
if not solve many of the humanitarian issues. Until that happens, there is a need for the
expansion of existing programs and implementation of new program.
TEJA hopes to raise funds to provide essential programs . NACOEJ and SSEJ are
attempting to raise funds independently. However the only way to make a significant
dent in the problems would be for the Federations to provide funding or for JDC or the
Jewish Agency to fulfill their missions of providing for
Diaspora communities in distress. Sadly this does not seem likely in the near future.
Neither organization has even bothered to respond to a written request from seven
heads of Knesset Committees, Deputy Knesset speakers and coalition heads for the
organizations to provide humanitarian relief in Ethiopia..
What happens after community members arrive in Israel?
Overcoming intense opposition from some elements of the Israeli government,
approximately 55,000 members of the so-called Falash Mura community have arrived in
Israel since 1992. The great majority of Israeli Falash Mura send their children to
religious schools and lead follow traditional rabbinical halakhic practices. The Falash
Mura are the most traditionally observant segment of Ethiopian Jewry in Israel.
Unlike prior groups, the 9500 currently in Ethiopia have only patrilineal descent from the
Beta Israel. Therefore, in accordance with Orthodox practice, they must go through a
full conversion when they arrive in Israel. There is no doubt that they will do so and that
they would already have undergone such conversion years ago if it were possible in
Ethiopia.
What is the view of Ethiopian Jewish religious authorities?
The Ethiopian-Israeli community’s religious leaders, including the Chief Rabbi of the
Ethiopian community in Israel, Rabbi Yosef Hadane, and Chief Kess (traditional spiritual
leader) Raphael Hadane, are strongly supportive of the aliyah. Virtually all Ethiopian
rabbis and most kessim are similarly supportive..
Of course, after the Beta Israel undergo conversion in Israel under the supervision of
the Chief Rabbinate, there will be no doubt of their status as Jews under the most
rigorous application of halakhic principles. Historically, the paternally descended
Marranos of Spain and Portugal, even after eight generations as practicing Catholics,
were allowed to return to the Jewish people after undergoing an halakhic conversion.
Many of them became outstanding Jewish religious figures.
Why aren't all of the Falash Mura in Israel already?
For the past 25 years, the Interior Ministry has taken the position that the Gondar and
Addis communities are not eligible for aliyah under the Law of Return even though they
have been practicing normative halakhic Judaism. Thus, aliyah of the remaining 9500
can take place only pursuant to sporadic government decisions under Israel's
discretionary Law of Entry. Even when such decisions are passed by the cabinet,
individual Israeli government ministers have been able to block their implementation for
extended time periods.
Consequently, many members of the community have been living as internally
displaced refugees for 10 years or more but have yet to be called for an interview to
determine their eligibility for aliyah. The interminable delays in Ethiopia are in stark
contrast to the inspection process for aliyah worldwide.
Is there any problem with the Israeli religious parties?
The religious sectors have generally been extremely supportive. In Israel, MK's from the
religious parties Shas, Habayit Hayehudi and National Union have historically been
amongst the community's strongest advocates and Knesset members from these
parties have visited the community in the past. As noted above, Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef
z”tl, the late spiritual leader of Shas, was a strong supporter.
Is there substantial support from other sectors of Israeli society?
The only current Ethiopian member of Knesset, Dr. Avraham Neguise, has been a
strong supporter for over 25 years. He is also chairman of the Knesset’s Immigration,
Absorption and Diaspora Affairs Committee.
A distinguished public committee, whose honorary president is the former Chief Justice
of Israel's Supreme Court, Meir Shamgar, advocates on behalf of the remaining Jews in
Ethiopia. It contains extremely prominent members from all segments of Israel's political
and religious sector, from the secular left to the ultra-Orthodox right, Ethiopians and
non-Ethiopians. Members include or have included former Canadian Justice Minister
Irwin Cotler, Professor Alan Dershowitz, Professor Asa Kasher, Chief Rabbi of the
Ethiopian community Yosef Hadane, the Chief Rabbi of Haifa, Rabbi Shaar Yashuv
Cohen z’tl, Nobel Peace Prize winner, Elie Wiesel z’l, was also extremely supportive.
Is there support from the Ethiopian Jewish community in Israel?
The umbrella group representing all major Ethiopian Jewish organizations has been
strongly supportive of the aliyah. Over the years, there have been many demonstrations
by thousands of members of the Ethiopian Jewish community in Israel in favor of
continued aliyah. Based on contacts at the highest level of the Ethiopian government it
is clear that the Ethiopian government would have no objection.
What can be done?
The conditions under which the community lives are insufferable, even shocking, and
must be improved. Programs are urgently needed to provide food, Jewish education,
medical care and other humanitarian assistance.
Ideally such programming should be provided by the Jewish Agency or the Joint. But
since they are adamantly unwilling, funds must be provided to TEJA, SSEJ OR NACOEJ
which ARE capable and willing to undertake such programs. It would be a real mitzvah,
possibly life-saving, if you could bring this urgent matter to the attention of your local
federation.
TEJA can be reached in the United States at teensfej@gmail.com.