Federation’s SPACE Program a Resounding Success

Your donation to the Annual Federation/UJA Campaign helps support a School Performance and Community Empowerment program (SPACE) at the Elisheva Girls High School in Pardes Channa/Karkur. The program provides students with tutoring, workshops and mentoring in small group settings. It also strengthens self-esteem and leadership skills by addressing obstacles to social integration and personal development. Enrolled students receive preparation for army service, which enables them to choose from a broader base of positions once enlisted. Nearly half of the students enrolled in SPACE pass their high school completion exams, compared with just 38 percent for similar students not enrolled.

Sefitu Ezra, a SPACE alumna, credits her success in school and the military with SPACE. “SPACE gave me the confidence and support I needed at a very important time in my life," she says. "Coming from Ethiopia, my parents didn’t understand the importance of a solid education. It was not a focus when they were young. The guidance I received from SPACE helped me succeed not only in school, but even after I graduated. I’m so grateful to have been able to be a part of it.”

Through Federation's partnership with the Ethiopian National Project, your donation to the Annual Federation/UJA Campaign helps SPACE advance the integration of the Ethiopian-Israeli community and breaks down the socio-economic barriers to their success.

ENP’s SPACE Program has been so successful that the government of Israel recently recognized it as the best way to integrate Ethiopian-Israelis into Israeli society. To that end, they have agreed to match, dollar-for-dollar, the funds raised by the Diaspora up to $18 million to ensure the program’s continued success.

To learn more about this and other initiatives supporting the Ethiopian-Israeli community, contact Israel and Overseas Director Dahlia Bendavid at dbendavid@gmjf.org or 786.866.8445.