ICEJ WELCOMES 155 JEWISH ETHIOPIAN IMMIGRANTS

BY ANNALIESE JOHNSON, PUBLICATIONS/ EVENTS REGISTRATION ASSISTANT

On March 30, 2023, the tarmac at Ben Gurion Airport was abuzz with activity, music, and welcome banners. Israeli officials and ICEJ staff stood ready with Israeli flags and candy, eagerly awaiting the arrival of 155 Jewish Olim (new immigrants) from Ethiopia. The youngest was just four months old, and the oldest was 70.

This Aliyah flight, sponsored by the ICEJ, not only represents the homecoming of Jewish people to Israel but also unites families. Despite the ongoing strikes and protests related to Israel’s proposed judicial reforms, Aliyah never stops! These Olim were joyfully welcomed to start their lives afresh in the promised land, the home of their forefathers.

God is still delivering His people today, just as the Hebrew prophets wrote: “From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, my worshipers, the daughters of My scattered ones will bring My offering” (Zephaniah 3:10, TLV).

As part of the government-approved Rock of Israel II operation, 3,000 Ethiopian Olim are approved for Aliyah, and the hope is that all will arrive by this June. With the recent March flight, we celebrated crossing the 2,000 mark. This arrival was especially timely, as these Olim were able to celebrate Yom HaAliyah and Pesach (Passover) for the first time in Israel. Yom HaAliyah marks the day the Israelites entered the Land of Israel in the Pesach story, commemorating how God delivered the Jewish people out of Egyptian slavery and into the promised land.

Faces glowing with excitement and awe, many Olim knelt to kiss the ground as they set their eyes upon the Land of Israel for the first time. One exuberant man raised his arms to the sky and shouted praises to God for bringing him home at last. Women dressed in traditional white clothing smiled shyly as they accepted Israeli flags. Young mothers elegantly carried their babies on their backs as fathers, in their nicest suits, proudly led their daughters by the hand down the stairs to be welcomed with delicious treats and more Israeli flags.

Families who have waited many long years to be reunited with those who came decades before can now be together in the Land of Israel, which they have been dreaming about for their entire lives—a testament of God’s faithfulness and care. For the younger generations on the flight, this journey meant meeting relatives for the first time, such as grandparents who could finally embrace their kin with warm hugs.

This community, which traces its roots back to the time of King Solomon’s reign, if not even further back to the time of Moses and his Ethiopian wife (Numbers 12:1), has been through intense trials, adaptations, and adversity but is strong and committed to starting new lives afresh in Israel.

For these newest arrivals, many challenges await, like bridging cultural and language barriers. Landing at Ben Gurion Airport is the beginning of a journey that can take years before the Olim feel fully integrated. Upon arrival, families will go to Aliyah centers across the country, including in Tzfat,