The Struggle for Equality
The Ethiopian Jewish community in Israel faces significant barriers to full equality and integration, including discrimination and over-policing.
These programs aim to shatter those barriers.
Association of Ethiopian Jews (AEJ)
The Association of Ethiopian Jews is a unique organization and formidable voice for the Ethiopian Jewish community in Israel.
It is the single most powerful, system-wide, advocate to major Israeli leaders in the municipal & national governments to advance full and successful integration.
The Association of Ethiopian Jews’ work focuses on political advocacy, research, community activism, and raising public awareness for the socio-economic issues facing the Ethiopian-Israeli community.
The organization's successes include:
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The Affirmative Action Law – AEJ advocacy was crucial in adding a clause to the Affirmative Action Law, ensuring that at least 2% of the employees in the public sector, public corporations, governmental corporations and local authorities must be Israelis of Ethiopian descent.
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Establishing Sigd as a National Holiday in the State of Israel.
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Cancellation of all segregated programs in the IDF
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Research proving the discriminatory over-policing of young Israelis of Ethiopian descent.
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Transferring the responsibility for issues related to Israelis of Ethiopian descent from the Ministry of Aliyah and Absorption to relevant ministries – ensuring that Israelis of Ethiopian descent are no longer treated as new immigrants, but rather as citizens with equal rights.
Established in 1993 as the Israel Association for Ethiopian Jews (IAEJ), AEJ is currently led by attorney-activist Rina Ayalin-Gorelik.
To learn more about the Association of Ethiopian Jews, visit their website and follow them on Facebook.
Tebeka
Tebeka (“Advocate of Justice” in Amharic), is a free legal aid society for Ethiopian Jews in Israel.
Founded by the first Ethiopian-Israeli attorney to earn a law degree, Itzik Dessie, and now led by Adv. Tomer Marsha, its' mission is to safeguard the rights of Ethiopian-Israelis by ensuring their access to high quality, comprehensive and free legal services and to cultivate Israel’s next generation of leaders and legal scholars.
Tebeka's crucial work includes:
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Conducting impact litigation in the District Courts of Israel and in the Supreme Court of Justice for major cases involving discrimination and civil rights violations.
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Serving 1,000+ clients annually in a variety of legal areas, including employment, education, housing, health, immigration and family law.
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Operating a Center for Children’s Rights which utilizes attorneys and social workers to provide family counseling and advocacy services for Ethiopian-Israelis facing issues involving school authorities, social services and the courts.
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Investing in Ethiopian-Israeli attorneys and law students through scholarships, internships, job placement programs, and skills-training workshops.
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Running a Youth for Justice Program that enables teenagers of diverse backgrounds to participate in after-school workshops and peer-discussion groups that explore topics including civics, civil rights, current events, and conflict resolution.
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Advancing policies that address discrimination, alongside Members of Knesset (Israeli parliament), local municipality leaders, and other NGOs.
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Hosting a weekly radio show and conducting workshops in absorption and community centers to education Ethiopian-Israelis about their rights.
Tebeka works to empower the Ethiopian-Israeli community and advance a pluralistic Israeli society where equal protection of the law is guaranteed to all its citizens.
To learn more about Tebeka, visit their website.