Jun 9, 2022

Operation Tzur Yisrael Brings Ethiopian Olim to Israel

After 17 long years, Alemitu Belew finally reunited with her daughters in Israel, thanks to Operation Zur Israel, which resumed on Wednesday, June 1, bringing 180 Ethiopians to their new homeland. The Greater Miami Jewish Federation’s overseas partner The Jewish Agency for Israel ensures immigrants arrive safely and continue to facilitate their settlement with intensive Hebrew language studies, job placement and acculturation classes. Welcoming the Ethiopian olim (immigrants), Pnina Tamano-Shata, the first Ethiopian-born woman to enter the Knesset and most recently, Israel’s first Ethiopian-born Minister (of Immigration and Absorption), said, “When I look at these children and their parents and I hear their stories, their struggle is my struggle — and it must be the struggle of all Israel.” Click here to watch a video of the June 1 welcoming ceremony at Ben Gurion Airport. Operation Zur expects 3,000 Ethiopian olim will have arrived in Israel by November 2022 for family reunification. Since 2005, we have been working closely with the Ethiopian-Israeli residents of Pardes Channa-Karkur through a variety of initiatives including the Ethiopian National Project School Performance and Community Empowerment program (SPACE) and Machon Merchavim, which places Ethiopian-Israeli educators in the Israeli school system.