Project Spotlight: 300 Ethiopian Jews Home to Israel

The Fellowship  |  December 16, 2020

This month, The Fellowship welcomed home 316 olim (immigrants) from Ethiopia, and another 100 are on their way, as part of Operation “Tzur Israel.”

The immigrants are returned together with the Minister of Immigration and Absorption, who traveled to Ethiopia to oversee preparations for immigration. The initiative has been conducted in cooperation with the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption, and the Chairman of the Jewish Agency, Isaac Herzog.

Yael Eckstein, President and CEO of The Fellowship, which has been a partner for 30 years with the Jewish Agency and the Ministry of Absorption in bringing thousands of Ethiopian immigrants home, participated in the reception.

“What an honor to stand next to the Prime Minister of Israel and greet hundreds of Jews from the once lost tribe of Dan in Ethiopia to their new home,” she said. “I love the fact that we have Israel. The fact that there is a Jewish government. The fact that the lost tribe has been found. And the fact that millions of Christians are part of the ingathering of the Jewish people through The Fellowship.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who was present at the event as well said, “Our dear brothers and sisters, Ethiopian immigrants, we are so excited to welcome you here. Welcome to the Land of Israel. Welcome to the State of Israel. You have waited a long time for the dream to come true, and today it is coming true.”