Wishing you and yours a very happy, healthy, fulfilling and successful New Year with gratitude, from Friends of Ethiopian Jews

Watch the Olim Beyahad video!   

Founded in 1993, the Association of Ethiopian Jews, or AEJ, (formerly, the Israel Association for Ethiopian Jews, IAEJ) has a new website and new campaign for a equal and just society in Israel.    AEJ tracks the latest statistics and conditions, and advocates at the highest levels to bring change.   Check out their new and informative website, here in both Hebrew and English.

Tech-Career - the Computer software and programming technology training center for Ethiopian-Israelis - is expanding its horizons and nurturing a new generation of techpreneurs.  The plan is to create a permanent campus that will be a model for tech education and a springboard for economic and social integration for young Ethiopian-Israelis—and over the long term, for under-served young adults from diverse communities.  The proposed new permanent campus will  create a hub for Ethiopian-Israelis ...

Tech Career has a new Exec. Director, Takele Mekonen, who has just stepped into the position after Passover.  After 3.5 years as Executive Director, Naftali Avraham has retired.  We wish him all the very best.   Naftali took Tech Career from the rural kibbutz to a central location in Lod, and launched a $2 million campaign to build a new campus there. Takele Mekonen is uniquely qualified to take on the responsibilities of Executive Director of Tech-Career.  Over the past ten years Takele has ov...

Lectures, workshops and tours in Israel around the history of Ethiopian Jews by Naftali Aklum If you have a group visiting Israel, such as a church, synagogue, Federation, school or youth group, this new program is a fabulous one-day experience about Ethiopian Jews - their history, culture, aliyah and situation in Israel today. The one day program involves lectures, guided tours, home hospitality with Ethiopian food, traditional ethnic craft workshops (pottery, embroidery), music and dance p...

Penina Tamanu-Shata - Yesh Atid MK who served in the 19th Knesset - replaces Yaakov Perry who resigned last week Here is the latest article from Arutz Sheva: כ"ח בשבט תשע"ח, 2/13/2018 ,Arutz Sheva Staff Isaac Harari Penina Tamanu-Shata on Monday evening was sworn in as a member of Knesset, .representing the Yesh Atid party Tamanu-Shata, who also served as an MK in the 19th Knesset, replaces Yaakov Perry who last week announced his resignation from the Knesset in the wake of an investig...

For the fourth year in a row, Friends of Ethiopian Jews (FEJ) is sponsoring a one-day conference in Israel on February 21st for Ethiopian Israeli organizations to promote collaboration, best practices, effectiveness, education and professional development.   This year, the conference will include a seminar from renowned scholar and professor, Rabbi Dr. Sharon Shalom, author of "From Sinai to Ethiopia."     Participating NGOs include Olim Beyahad, Friends by Nature, Tebeka, Tech Career, Hinenni, ...

Shmuel Yilma, Board member and former scholarship recipient from Keren Hann Aynor (KHA) has just completed a fund raising tour in the U.S., raising funds for the Keren Hanan Aynor Scholarship Program.   KHA provides scholarships and support to Ethiopian Israeli adults seeking higher degrees.  This year, more than 200 qualified applicants requested scholarships but KHA had funds for only HALF that number. Traveling to Boston, New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington DC and...

'I have no doubt teenagers in general and teenagers from the Ethiopian community in particular will see this as a realization  of the phrase "If you will it, it is no dream,"' Yitzhaki said after receiving his new rank from IDF chief Eisenkot. YNETnews story by Yoav Zitun Dr. Avi Yitzhaki, the chief medical officer of the Southern Command, became on Thursday the first Israeli of Ethiopian descent to be promoted to the rank of colonel in the IDF. Col. Yitzhaki received his new rank f...