Just about every student served through English B'Yachad is a part of the Ethiopian Israeli community. The story of Ethiopian Jewry is unique as is their integration into Israeli society. These articles from the English press in Israel offer insights into the community's culture, history, and achievements integrating into Israeli society. This small list is by no means comprehensive but may stimulate interesting conversations between English B'Yachad students and mentors!
Educational Achievement:
In December 2024, the Jerusalem Post reported on improved educational outcomes for Ethiopian Israelis in an article entitled: "Ethiopian-Israeli students achieve equal matriculation rates in educational milestone." Among the achievements cited are the parity rate of matriculation eligibility rates among Ethiopian Israelis as compared with all Hebrew speakers.
Exemplary National Service:
At the end of December 2024, the Jerusalem Post reported on "Hadas Malada-Matsree: The first Ethiopian woman to be an IDF doctor." Her story of how she and her family arrived in Israel and the influences that led her to pursue a career in medicine are truly inspiring.
Culture and Religion:
A July 2022 article in The Times of Israel article entitled "Israeli family risks it all to retrieve rare Ethiopian version of the Book of Psalms" shares the story of an Ethiopian family's success in retrieving a rare book. This book of Psalms was written in the language of Ge’ez, which is read by a dwindling number of spiritual leaders from the Ethiopian Jewish community. Not only is the story of how the book was rescued the stuff of movies, but the book itself is one of just a handful of texts in Israel that are part of the Orit, an Ethiopian variant of the Hebrew Bible that predates the standardized Tanach.
This year's Hullegeb Israeli-Ethiopian Arts Festival featured a performance that tells about the Ethiopian Israeli experience through the trauma of a Nova survivor.
Exodus From Ethiopia:
The stories we have learned about the Ethiopian Jewish community's journey to Israel are often told through the lens of 'rescue.' This article from the Times of Israel brings voice to the Ethiopian's role in their journey to Israel.
Ethiopia-Israel Relations
The relationship between Ethiopia and Israel can be traced back 3,000 years! This article in the Jerusalem Post focuses on the economic ties between these two countries today.