Project Spotlight: Fellowship House Ethiopian Spiritual Center
The Fellowship | May 7, 2018
Recently, The Fellowship dedicated another Fellowship House Ethiopian Spiritual Center in the city of Carmiel, and it was a day of great happiness and celebration! Carmiel mayor Adi Eldar, Ethiopian Jewish spiritual leaders, The Fellowship‘s Jeff Kaye, and many from the local community attended the festive dedication ceremony.
The center will be used as a central location for cultural celebrations and well as for classes and seminars on job placement, career counseling, and other activities for the Ethiopian community. The center ensures that this community will maintain their religious traditions, continue to pray in the style of their ancestors, and have a home where they can celebrate life events.
Mayor Adi Eldar addressed the crowd, saying, “Today we’ve fulfilled a dream that had been with us for a long time. This is the time to thank the Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, an honorary citizen of the city of Carmiel.”
The Fellowship‘s Jeff Kaye spoke about how the Ethiopian community continues to make Israel a better nation. “We feel that the Ethiopian community came to enrich Israeli society,” said Jeff Kaye, Executive Vice President. “There’s a heritage of the Ethiopian community. There’s history and there’s culture. There are many things that the ordinary Israeli community can learn and espouse within ourselves. . .
“Therefore, I’d like to thank you, the members of the Ethiopian community, for everything you’ve contributed to us. It’s true that The Fellowship came with shekels or dollars and built this building, but you contributed very much to Israeli society and we want to thank you.”
Ethiopian Jews have a history of making aliyah (immigrating to Israel) to escape war and poverty, as well as fulfilling a generations-long dream to return to their true home, Israel. We want to see them assimilate successfully in their homeland, which is why Fellowship House Ethiopian Spiritual Centers are so crucial to their growth.