Project Spotlight: Fellowship House Ethiopian Spiritual Center

The Fellowship  |  July 26, 2016

Rabbi Eckstein standing with another man in a blue button down and three Ethiopian Spiritual Leaders.
Project Spotlight: Fellowship House Ethiopian Spiritual Center

The Fellowship has contributed 23 spiritual centers to the Ethiopian Jewish community throughout Israel to ensure that they maintain their religious traditions, continue to pray in the style of their ancestors, and have a home where they can celebrate life events.

Recently, we dedicated the most recent Fellowship House Ethiopian Spiritual Center in the city of Rehovot. Rabbi Eckstein, Rehovot mayor Rahamim Malul, Ethiopian Jewish spiritual leaders, and hundreds of members of the local community attended the festive dedication ceremony.

The festivities began as the spiritual leaders and members of the community accompanied the Torah scroll as it was brought to the Fellowship House with singing, dancing, and joyful ululating. The official ceremony began with the reading of Psalm 150.

Mayor Malul addressed the crowd and spoke of the work The Fellowship does to improve the lives not only of Ethiopian Jewry, but on behalf of all Israel’s needy. He then presented Rabbi Eckstein with a picture that was embroidered by a woman from the community of Ethiopian immigrants who have been brought to Israel On Wings of Eagles.

Rabbi Eckstein spoke of the times he was in Ethiopia, visiting the transit camps where many of the Ethiopian Jews lived before being granted approval to leave for Israel. “We at The Fellowship brought you to Israel. Therefore, we not only feel an obligation and responsibility for bringing you here as part of the ingathering of exiles, but also for your resettlement and absorption here.”

Learn how you can help other Jewish people around the world make aliyah (immigrate to Israel) and resettle well in their spiritual homeland.