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Florida federation sends $30,000 to help Ethiopian Jews awaiting immigration

“Helping Ethiopians and Jews worldwide come home to Israel is one of the clearest demonstrations of our love and commitment to the State of Israel, which is central to our core mission,” said Alan Cohn, chair of the Jewish Federation of Broward County’s board of directors.

Ethiopian immigrants arrive at Ben-Gurion International Airport on the final flight of “Operation Tzur Israel” on March 11, 2021. Photo by Olivier Fitoussi.
Ethiopian immigrants arrive at Ben-Gurion International Airport on the final flight of “Operation Tzur Israel” on March 11, 2021. Photo by Olivier Fitoussi.

Florida’s Jewish Federation of Broward County has donated $32,800 to help provide medical care, food and clean water to Jews in Ethiopia awaiting to make aliyah and resettle in Israel.

The funds will help support the efforts of the organization Struggle to Save Ethiopian Jewry (SSEJ), which is dedicated to supporting Jews remaining in Ethiopia until they are rescued and brought to Israel. The federation allocated the money from its ongoing campaign to raise $100,000 for SSEJ.

In the past 40 years, Jewish federations have helped more than 92,000 Ethiopian Jews immigrate to Israel.

“Helping Ethiopians and Jews worldwide come home to Israel is one of the clearest demonstrations of our love and commitment to the State of Israel, which is central to our core mission,” said Alan Cohn, chair of the Jewish Federation of Broward County’s board of directors. “We will not forsake our brothers and sisters at this desperate time.”

Hundreds of Ethiopian Jews were airlifted to Israel in December 2020 as part of a decision by the Israeli government to enable the immigration of members of Ethiopia’s Jewish community known as Falash Mura. Many members of the Ethiopian Jewish community already have family members living in Israel.

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