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1 SPRING 2016 Passover 2016: A Blocked Path to the Promised Land he photos here were taken in Ethiopia last year, as TJews made thousands of matzahs, kosher l Pesach, to use for huge Seders in Gondar and Addis Ababa, and sustain the communities through the holiday. This year, they expected to celebrate the holiday with rejoicing, a new Exodus to Israel already underway. Now that expectation has been dashed the aliyah frozen with only vague promises that some individuals elderly, sick, or alone can leave for Israel in Passover now comes in a bleak world. With the Jewish Agency and the JDC saying they will do nothing until the aliyah officially begins, and the worst drought in 50 years sweeping down on the north where the majority of Jews cling to life in Gondar, can they be sure of flour to make matzah or herbs and eggs for the Seder plate or even hope for next year in Jerusalem? This year at our own Seder tables we must once again pray for the abandoned Jews in Ethiopia. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Time to Make a Difference The following article was written by Rabbi Jerry Epstein, President of NACOEJ, and appeared in The Jerusalem Post on 3/13/2016. sther, the heroine of the EPurim narrative, almost lost the opportunity to save her people, not because of an external force, but because she could not imagine the impact that she, one woman, could have. Yet, we know that when she accepted the challenge of her uncle Mordechai to act, she single-handedly changed the course of history. At this very moment, we are being boldly challenged to respond to the plight of our fellow Jews stranded in Ethiopia and change the course of their future. Currently there are over 9,000 Ethiopians who identify as Jews, residing in Ethiopia most of whom have firstdegree relatives who have already made aliyah. According to the November 2015 decision of Israel s cabinet, there is a commitment to permit the aliyah and absorption of any Ethiopian who had previously moved to Gondar or Addis Ababa, who has relatives in Israel who will apply for his/ her acceptance and who is willing to formally convert to Judaism to prevent any doubt regarding Jewish identity. The cabinet did not make a nebulous decision that would be implemented only when the time was right or convenient. Rather, this aliyah was to be completed within five years. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

2 2 PASSOVER CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Last year's matzah yield. We at NACOEJ are taking steps to help, but we need all the prayers we can get. Consider please, reading this abbreviated version of a long Passover prayer from the traditional Ethiopian at your Seder. You Whose Strength Redeemed Us You whose strength redeemed us, to take us out from the land of Egypt. You whose strength redeemed us, to take us out from an impure land. You whose strength redeemed us, to take us out from the Pharaoh s army. You whose strength redeemed us, don t ignore us and don t hide. Blessed be G-d who gave us the holy Sabbath. Blessed be G-d who gave us the two tablets. Blessed be G-d who gave us the respected holidays. Bring upon us loving kindness and compassion, And now we stand before you Translated by NACOEJ's Shoshana Ben-Dor For a copy of the complete prayer, call NACOEJ, , ext. 0. TIME TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 We are currently nearly five months later. The government has now indicated that any further action to begin this aliyah will be delayed until the 2017 budget has been accepted. Members of Knesset Avraham Neguise and David Amsalem have cried out in outrage at the insensitivity of the Jewish homeland toward those who seek refuge. Danny Hirschberg, general secretary of B nei Akiva, has decried the show of indifference, stating that every day that goes by endangers the lives of Jews there. It is understandable that Ethiopian Jews in Israel are justifiably angry and very disappointed. But where are the shouts of protest of the general Israeli public? According to the Israeli financial newspaper, Globes, the Treasury reported an NIS 1.6 billion surplus in 2016! Even were there no surplus there is a mandate to rescue these relatives of Israeli Jews of Ethiopian descent, but with a surplus a maneuver to procrastinate is unconscionable. Israel must fulfill its commitment without delay. There is a role, however, for the Diaspora community to play as well. Those stranded in Ethiopia left their jobs and abandoned their homes to move to Gondar and Addis Ababa as the first steps in their aliyah. They live in hovels. And they are hungry. It has been reported that Ethiopia is currently in the grip of its worst drought in 50 years. Food is available but, as we can imagine, it is costly. Teff is the staple food grain of Ethiopia. To provide enough teff to feed a family of four, costs about $19 a month. This is money that is beyond the reach of these families waiting to come to Israel. Providing fruit and vegetables to young children in the religious schools and for those too young to attend would cost considerably less. But it has been calculated that it will require a commitment of thousands of dollars a month to sustain those stranded in Ethiopia. Sharing the responsibility, Israeli and Diaspora Jews can help alleviate the pangs of hunger with their financial support. The Jewish communities in Ethiopia have the structure to purchase and distribute food. What they do not have is the money to purchase it. Are we prepared to ignore the mothers who weep because their children are weak from hunger? It is unlikely that any single foundation, synagogue, Jewish Federation, institution, or individual will be able to shoulder this responsibility alone for the next five years. But that cannot be a reason to leave people to starve. We need to bond together in common cause. The North American Conference on Ethiopian Jewry is prepared to work with others to make certain that the future Israeli community currently stranded in Ethiopia has the basic food to survive its ordeal. We pray that others will join this effort. The Diaspora community has a position of strength. Israel is blessed with power. As Mordechai said to Esther, And who knows, perhaps you have attained your position for just such a crisis.

3 LIMUDIAH 3 How are Things Going in the Now-Integrated Limudiah Classes? As we go to press, things are going well in 11 of our 15 Limudiah programs. In two others, we have problems because the schools insist we must accept children who don't belong in Limudiah. We will not accept those who need special ed we can t provide, or are out of control behaviorally. We have taken in a few students from these schools who do meet our standards and they are doing well. In the two other schools, we are ready to accept numerous children who do meet our standards, and whose teachers say they need Limudiah but the parents say their children are busy with other activities. By the time you read this, we will have held a meeting at which reluctant parents can meet Ethiopian and non- Ethiopian mothers whose children are reaping benefits from Limudiah. Perhaps minds will change. We hope so, first for the sake of the children who need Limudiah and second because we do not yet know what will happen to our programs if, despite our best efforts, we can t reach the government-imposed quota of 25% integration. Watch for future NACOEJ mailings to tell you the upshot. Meanwhile, enjoy the photos from some of the 11 happily integrated classes. In this busy classroom in the Ohel Meir School in Kiryat Ekron, all the children are taught by a wonderful Ethiopian-Israeli teacher. In Limudiah, we celebrate Family Day instead of Mother s Day because some of the children s mothers died on the dangerous path to Israel. Children in the Harin School in Ramla cut out hearts to decorate cards, and a boy in the Maanit School in Ramla colors picture frames to chain together as gifts for parents. At the Noam HaMeiri School in Lod, Sponsor Vicki Trachten meets some of her students who are in the school s integrated orchestra. The Ethiopian children rehearsed a special piece for strings to play for Vicki when they learned she was coming. The school provides the instruments. The girls are dressed in black and white, as for a concert. This classroom, in the Ohel Meir School in Kiryat Ekron, is pictured at lunchtime. Please note the apples and cucumbers that supplement the packaged hot lunch of couscous, vegetables and drumsticks, along with water and bread. Our teachers say the children are more apt to eat the fruit and veggies if they see them whole, watch them being sliced, or even slice them themselves.

4 4 ADOPT A STUDEN 70 in One Month (Photos are not connected to adjacent quotes.) o you recall an old story D about a little tailor who bragged he d killed seven with one blow? Everyone thought he was a great warrior until it turned out his victims were flies! It came to mind when Karen Gens, our U.S. Director of Sponsorship Programs came into my office with a fistful of papers and said, 70 in one month! Of course, Karen s 70 weren t either victims or flies. They were letters from 70 teenage Ethiopian- Israeli high school students hoping for sponsors. All long to have basic things they can t afford: assigned school books, required school trips, equipment for vocational courses, or fees for special classes. These things don t come free in Israel. Hard-pressed Ethiopian parents often immigrants working two jobs to support their children can t pay for them. The kids feel left-out, marked (negatively) as different. So a NACOEJ/Edward G. Victor High School Sponsorship is something to long for. I was intrigued by the unusual deluge of photos and biographies. I asked Karen to let me look through the whole pile. Here s what I found: Boys and girls are scattered through grades as high as 12th and as low as 7th. (Some Israeli high schools include middle school.) Some notions are pretty common among the 70. Like their counterparts in America, lots of younger girls hope to be singers, dancers, or actresses. Many younger boys want to be soccer or basketball pros. Most older kids want to join the army after graduation, though some girls opt for National Service instead. Many hope to go to college. Some, considering future plans, just hope to graduate high school with good grades or improve the things I am not good at yet. Others stand out as (positively) different. Several girls want to be basketball or soccer stars, and one boy wants to be both a soccer player and a dancer. A budding entrepreneur wants to own a business and an ambitious girl wants to be a talented actress, draw comics, or dub cartoons for children. One girl wants to do something big with my life, while another hopes just to work at a good, high-paying job. A girl, sick with diabetes for years, still hopes to join the army and serve in the (dangerous) border police. And one boy says simply, I would like to become successful in everything I will do. Few of these youngsters can write a biography in English, so most are written in Hebrew and translated in our NACOEJ office in Jerusalem. (When you become a sponsor, your letters can be translated into Hebrew there.) Many students talk about their families, their parents jobs, the journey they made to Israel sometimes even the sleeping arrangements in crowded apartments. One girl s family has three bedrooms: one for her parents, one for her four brothers, one for the four daughters. She says she has no complaints. And one boy says, The situation at home is difficult but we are motivated to learn and succeed. Some children direct their stories to hoped-for sponsors in words like these: You are doing an important thing. I wish there will be more people like you in the world. You're giving me the opportunity to continue to study and succeed in life. And: I don t have enough words to describe the good deed you're doing by helping me and other children like me. I don t have enough words either to praise these wonderful young Israelis and their sponsors. But I will say: with a $350 taxdeductible donation, you can be the answer to a child s longing. Please contact Karen Gens at , ext. 230 or at education@ nacoej.org. 70 children are waiting, and hoping, for you...barbara

5 T: HIGH SCHOOL 5 Shalom Dear Sponsor These days, many of our sponsored high school girls and boys are writing amazing letters to their sponsors. Here s one of the best, from 12th-grader Rivka Wobanech to Eric Bruskin who sponsored her for many years: Shalom dear sponsor, I want to thank you for your sponsorship and support during all these years. I'm already at the end of my journey: the beginning of life and the end of school. Last year I began a theatre group for girls between the ages of 14 and 17. We work to present ourselves and our life stories about the neighborhood where we live. We showed different styles of people: happy people, sad, criminals, good children, girls who only want to enjoy life, and girls who become responsible for younger siblings. I acted as a girl who only wants to enjoy life while disregarding everyone she makes her sister become responsible at a young age. The play was a big success and we performed at 11 places. We have continued the group. I am now in the 12th grade, and during vacation I worked in order to go on the trip to Poland [to concentration camps] at the end of the vacation. I worked the whole summer and paid for the trip on my own. It gave me great satisfaction, in addition to an independent feeling. During the journey I experienced all the things one could think of, including sadness and compassion for the people who had to go through these difficult things. Even though the trip took place in the summer, we felt the cold we were told about. We went to the roads that they walked on, and it was very difficult to see the amount of cemeteries. In addition, when we were there we saw a mountain filled entirely with human ashes. It was very difficult to see it because it is so hard to imagine that these were people and now only their ashes remain, there are no names, and nothing is left but the ashes. At the end of the journey I felt very proud for being Jewish and being in Israel, the Promised Land they dreamt of coming to. Thanks to them we could establish it. In the beginning I didn't know if I should go because I told myself that I am not really connected to it because it didn't reach Ethiopia. I always heard the story [of the Holocaust] from the outside, but after I was there I felt a strong connection to the people and the events. Now on my last year, I invest everything I have to succeed in the matriculation exams. After I graduate I will join the army to serve the country. I hope to give everything I can in the army and to be accepted to a good position in which I will feel like I could give from myself, rather than a position that will make me feel inferior. With the completion of the military service I would like to study for a first and second degree* and begin life. I hope I can accomplish these goals with success, and that I have a good life. Thank you for your sponsorship and for helping me so much during all these years. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been able to do many of the things that I did. May you continue with your generous deed because you have no idea how good it feels knowing there are people who do good things for others without expecting anything in return. Thank you. I hope we will meet one day. Rivka *BA and MA Rivka was born in Ethiopia and came to Israel with her family when she was eight. She lives in Holon, goes to the Yavne Holon High School, and has said she loves Holon because everyone in the neighborhood has a joy of life and enjoys living close to one another! One of her dearest dreams is to go back to Ethiopia because I want to see the house I grew up in when I was little, and see the neighbors who were like our family and I loved them. Rivka, we all love you, too.

6 6 ADOPT A STUD Story Time in a Bomb Shelter Genet Dese, who is sponsored in the AAS program by Rachel and Barney Gottstein, is fascinating. One of Genet s cherished memories of Ethiopia is of visits by her beloved grandfather. He would rest from his journey under a tree near her village until she and her sister recognized him from afar. Then they ran to him with jugs of water they carried on their backs. He would hug them and say that in Jerusalem, they wouldn t have to carry water on their backs. He felt he wouldn't live to see Jerusalem himself, but dreamed of it for them. In 1990, when aliyah seemed possible, Genet and her family made the arduous journey to Addis Ababa, where they lived for a year waiting for Israeli passports. In 1991, they were told to go to the Jewish Agency where a bus would take them to the airport. Children are gathered on the floor reading books. Behind them is a table with more Barney's Books arranged on an Ethiopian cloth. Miriam Garson, who lives in Israel and is the daughter of Genet's AAS sponsor, enjoyed Story Hour and admired Genet's work. At NACOEJ, we're always delighted when our sponsors' own children get involved. Then they would fly to Jerusalem. They left home with only the clothes on their backs, joining hands so they wouldn t get lost in the mass of Jews making the same journey: it was Operation Solomon! Once in Israel, Genet didn t finish high school. She married, had a daughter, Michal, and then was divorced. For 11 years, Genet worked at a school for the intellectually disabled to support herself and Michal. She worked on new programs for the residents and was put in charge of employment programs for them. She began to dream of becoming an educator. So, while still working, she finished high school, studied to become a special education therapist, and went into a college prep program. Then something changed her life. She heard about an orphan baby she wanted to adopt, but faced many bureaucratic challenges. Only after the adoption became official in 2014, did she resume her education, studying for a BA in education and a teaching certificate. Genet is now a third-year student in the David Yellin Teachers College. She's a school mediator, facilitating relationships between Ethiopian parents and educational staffs; she also works in a program that helps families get to know the whole land of Israel. Today, remarried and living in Netanya, Genet is mother to Genet talking with the children. Michal, another daughter, her adopted son, and has a new baby on the way. She plans on a Masters Degree because: I would like to become more professional in my field. Genet s plate is obviously overflowing but she also volunteers to gather local Ethiopian children into an underground bomb shelter* in Netanya for Story Hours, reading books to them. Last January, Miriam Garson, daughter of Genet s sponsor, Rachel Gottstein, joined Yehudit Abramson, NACOEJ Coordinator of AAS and Barney s Books, to meet Genet for an exciting story hour. Yehudit brought Barney s Books, which are supplied free to Ethiopian-Israeli children. Some of the Barney s Books read that day were about Jewish village life in Ethiopia. The children were beyond thrilled, listening to Genet read, reading books themselves, and finding out that they could keep them. Miriam and Yehudit were as pleased as the children. Genet is an extraordinary woman with a huge heart, who gives back to her community and country in so many ways. * In Israel, many bomb shelters, constructed during wars, are now used for happier purposes.

7 ENT: COLLEGE 7 25 Years! And Going Strong!! The Traditional Congregation of Creve Coeur in St. Louis, Missouri has achieved a wonderful milestone anniversary. For the past 25 years, since 1991, they ve sponsored an Ethiopian-Israeli college student in the NACOEJ Adopt-A-Student program every single year - sometimes two at a time. They have also kept a complete record of every student from the very first. Said congregant Stanley Estrin, who s been the AAS liaison to his congregation since 1991: According to my records, we have participated continuously, adopting new students as the others graduated. Including our two current students, we've adopted 17 students since And we have every intention of continuing to support AAS. When asked how it began, Stanley said: Our involvement with Ethiopian Jewry pre-dates our participation in AAS by five years! In 1986 our congregation developed a relationship with an Ethiopian family in Israel. That Stanley Estrin and student, Neguise Ermias, eventually led us to NACOEJ where we worked with various people (including Elsie Roth, Lynn Goldstein, Michael Strum, and Chana Carlebach)* on several efforts to help Jews still in Ethiopia. And then in 1992, Barbara Ribakove Gordon made a presentation to our congregation. Each year the congregation has a campaign in the synagogue to collect the funds for that year s student/students. (This year the cost is $1,320 per student per year.) We want to congratulate the members of Traditional Congregation who have faithfully ensured the success of 17 Ethiopian- Israeli college students up to now with many more to come! Thank you! From all of us and all your students! You re changing their lives, giving them the tools for professional careers that allow them to become contributing citizens of Israel. * Elsie Roth, a nurse decorated for courage under fire, is a former NACOEJ president. Rabbi Lynn Goldstein, now in Tampa, never lets a congregation forget Ethiopian Jews. Michael Strum is the former NACOEJ staffer who set up our first program in Addis Ababa. Chana Carlebach is the former NACOEJ-Israel Director who started our first Limudiah. How Their Students Feel We thought you would like to know how some Traditional Congregation students feel about their experience. Some are now married. Their words speak for themselves: Dear Traditional Congregation of Creve Coeur: From Zehava: I will never forget the help during a difficult period in my life. During the course of my studies I underwent surgery to donate a kidney for my brother. Today my brother is healthy!...i remember and can t forget the beautiful time I had while I was a student, and your community s loyal assistance. From Yehudit: I work as a mechanical engineer in Israel s military industries. Thank you for the help and encouragement during difficult moments of my studies. There is a warm corner in my heart and a wonderful memory of the people who didn t allow me to fail.thanks to my success, my sister is studying at the Technion University the same profession as I did mechanical engineering. From Ariago: I continue to study biology and chemistry at the Open University, and at the same time I work at Yad Vashem Institute. I will never forget the people that helped me during the difficult period of studying for a first degree. I am sending my thanks and regards. From Ysayas: I would like to thank you for 25 years of giving to us students in any way you can. With G-d s help, we will give as you are giving, in order to expand the cycle of helping others. In this way we will be able to show you the good things that develop by giving to us. If you d like to receive accolades like these, just call Karen Gens at , ext. 230, or to Education@nacoej.org, and she will match you up with a student whose life will change because of you. And your life may change too!

8 8 Securing the Future It is our wonderful friends you who ve assisted, sustained, and encouraged the Ethiopian-Jewish community from the day NACOEJ began its historic work. Your support of NACOEJ makes a profound difference in the lives of the Ethiopian-Jewish children and young people we serve. We hope you will decide to carry your dedication into the future by making a bequest to NACOEJ now. There are several ways you can do this. You can leave a specific bequest to NACOEJ in your will, in the form of cash, securities, or property. You can specify a percentage of your estate. You can consider a residual bequest to NACOEJ: all or a portion of what remains of the estate after your other specific and general bequests are distributed. You can name NACOEJ as a beneficiary of an insurance policy or as the recipient of an IRA or another qualified retirement fund. Any steps you take now will carry into the future your legacy of dedication and caring for this ancient Jewish community. You will help newcomers and next generations become contributing members of modern Israel. For more information, or to discuss these or other options, please call Danielle Ben-Jehuda at , ext. 227, or donors@nacoej.org. Or if you prefer, just check the appropriate box on the enclosed reply card, include your phone number, and Danielle will call you. Either way, she will be very happy to work with you. And, thank you! Barbara in Israel My most recent visit to Israel was timed to allow me to give a talk at a wonderful event in the Ben-Tzvi Institute in Jerusalem, celebrating the publication of Rabbi Menachem Waldman s recent book on the Falash Mura aliyah, Waiting for Zion. We hope to have news soon of his even more beautiful English-language volume. At the reception (right), I met a long-time friend, Rav Joseph Hadane, official Chief Rabbi of the Ethiopian community in Israel. While we were talking about his father, Kes Ephraim Hadane who had been Chief Kes of the Jewish community in Ethiopia we were joined by journalist Yitshak Hildesheimer, who told me about his great-grandfather, the revered Rabbi Azriel Hildesheimer, European founder of Modern Orthodoxy. I felt that past and present, Ethiopia, Europe, and America were all meeting on this special night in Jerusalem. LIFELINE APRIL 2016 ISSUE NO: 85 LIFELINE IS PUBLISHED THREE TIMES ANNUALLY. NACOEJ 255 WEST 36TH ST. SUITE 701 NEW YORK, NY NORTH AMERICAN CONFERENCE ON ETHIOPIAN JEWRY BOARD CHAIRPERSON: Faye Lieman PRESIDENT: Rabbi Jerome M. Epstein VICE PRESIDENT: Deborah Goldstein TREASURER: Mitchell Kaplan SECRETARY: Harlan Jacobs EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Barbara Ribakove Gordon LIKE US ON FACEBOOK! Visit NACOEJ on Facebook and receive news about our programs, plus updates of immediate interest relating to the Ethiopian-Jewish community.