Ethiopian Immigrants to Israel Struggle with Acceptance

Written by Hayley Nagelberg (Hagalil)

Many of you may be familiar with “Operation Moses” or “Operation Solomon," but what do you know about “Operation Dove”?

The Israeli “Law of Return” states that anyone who is a quarter Jewish - meaning that he or she has at least one Jewish grandparent - can make aliyah.  So what happens when people claim they WERE Jewish, or who USED to be Jewish but converted in order to avoid persecution?

Operation Dove’s Wings, completed this past August, brought over 7,800 Falash Mura to Israel.  These people, like the Beta Israel, practiced Judaism years ago; however unlike the Beta Israel, they accepted conversion to Christianity. 

Israeli political heads debated for years whether to allow this group of Ethiopians to make aliyah.  The eventual conclusion was that if they could trace their Jewish Identities through their mothers’ side, they could come to Israel.  This decision was based on the fact that Judaism teaches that Jewish lineage is derived from the mother’s side.  In addition, there is a concept, “zera yisrael”, which holds that if you have a relationship to the Jewish faith, you are welcome in Israel.  If they qualify for entry, when these Ethiopians reach Israel, they are required to undergo a conversion process to Orthodox Judaism.

While this ruling seems to be clear and fair as to who is welcome, it has been fraught with many problems.  As the process of review and admission has taken many years, new children have been born to these Ethiopians waiting to make aliyah, and these children may not fit the criteria that have been established for entry to the Jewish state.  Siblings have been split up because they have different fathers; and others have been reunited, but only after years of protest.

Setting aside the controversies that have taken place before the Operation began, there is even more controversy as it comes to an end.  First, some members of the Beta Israel community feel it is not right that these Ethiopians were allowed to immigrate.  They do not think of them as Jews in the same respect as they consider themselves.  They feel that the Israeli government was too lenient, and now will find that there are many more Ethiopians claiming to be Jews.  The new protocol stipulates that Ethiopians wishing to immigrate must apply individually, have some form of family in Israel apply for them, AND be able to trace back their matrilineal lineage.  Some people feel that even with these steps in place, Ethiopians will claim to be people they are not.

For the Falash Mura who worked so hard to get to Israel, they too are faced by many of the problems typical of new immigrants.  They feel they are not accepted; they have had to adjust so many of their customs and ways of life that they don’t feel comfortable in Israel. 

Another group still struggling is the Falash Mura who were denied entrance to Israel.  They agreed to learn the Jewish ways [again] in their country, and held out hope for years that they would be allowed to make aliyah.  Now they are left with new Jewish faith in a country that doesn't support their beliefs.  Some of them still have family by their side, but for others, their family is in Israel.

Since 2010, hundreds of Ethiopians have come over to Israel each month as part of Operation Dove.  Although their road to the Promised Land has not been easy, they have come freely.  This past August 28^th the last 450 olim came to Israel, thus ending the Operation.  Now there are over 7500 new Israelis, making their way as Jews in the Jewish land. And yet, the challenges associated with Operation Dove remain a persistent challenge of our times.

                 Hayley Nagelberg is a junior at the Golda Och Academy in West Orange New Jersey. She works with both Israel Clubs at her school (Israel club and Israel advocacy club). She is also her USY chapter's IA and the Hagalil Hechalutzim chairperson for the year.







My TRY Experience

Written by Sarah Cline (Tzafon)

My name is Sarah Cline, I'm 15 years old, in 10th grade and I have found myself having the time of my life in Israel. Two summers ago, Moshe Golde (one of my amazing teachers) 

came to my summer camp, Camp Ramah in Canada, and told me about a program called Tichon Ramah Yerushalayim (Ramah High School in Jerusalem). I fell in love with the idea of coming to Israel for four months not only to study, but also to learn Hebrew and travel around the country. The TRY program includes all of my everyday classes from Penfield High School, plus Hebrew and ICC. ICC stands for Israel Core Course. With ICC, we go on field trips every Tuesday and Thursday to sites in Israel. We learn in a chronological order, starting from the Tanach all the way to modern times.

I have already gone to so many places while learning as much as possible. We went to the Kotel, the Old City, Ein Gedi, Masada, Eilat, Safed, the Israel Museum, Yad Vashem, Kibbutzim and Be’er Sheva. We walked through tunnels, went on archeological digs, cooked and ate in a Bedouin tent, hiked sea to sea, rappelled in the Golan, canoed on the Jordan River. I experienced Purim, Pesach, Yom Ha’Shoah, Yom Ha’Atzmaut, Shabbat in Israel. Experiencing an entire country stopping to honor and remember those who have fallen is two minutes I will never forget. Those are only a few select examples. This morning I was in an army base in Sde Boker for Gadna. We were there for five days in an army training experience that is built for teenagers. We learned discipline, IDF values, training, field skills, and how to shoot a gun! It was a new, fun experience that I know most other kids will never get the chance to try. I feel like TRY is meant for teens to gain experiences. Sure, there's still school and everyday chores and activities, but TRY lets kids be more independent. We live in dorms, which is a great community experience. TRY gives teens unforgettable moments that let them grow as an individual.

Sarah is currently a junior from Tzafon who will be a member on USYs delegation to the AIPAC High School summit this November.

The Yom Kippur War: Forty Years Out

Written by Michael Anfang (Hanefesh IA)

            Many look at the Yom Kippur war as a defeat; something to be mourned rather than celebrated.  I consent that we did not win this strife with the Arab nations as handily as we did in 1967, however Israel is still alive and just as strong, if not stronger, than it was on the ninth of Tishrei, 5734 (October 5, 1973).  I then propose that we look at this war and what it means given the modern situation.

            After the Six Days War (June 5-10, 1967), Egypt and Syria were constantly lamenting their loss of territory to Israel.  Egypt’s Sadat made constant threats to regain the land that they lost, with actual military planning beginning in 1971.   Syria, who had been Egypt’s ally ever since the time of the United Arab Republic (1958-1961), was also not happy about losing the Golan in the 1967 war and released aggressive rhetoric, albeit less aggressive than that of Sadat.  In the days and weeks leading up to Yom Kippur, both Egypt and Syria conducted military exercises close to the border that included many reservists.  Many in the Israeli government, including Prime Minister Golda Meir, brushed these exercises as simply normal drills (at this time many countries, including Israel, would have exercises like these near their borders).  On Yom Kippur morning Meir, Defense Minister Moshe Dayan, and IDF Chief of Staff David Elazar met to discuss the possibility of a pre-emptive strike against Syria.  Dayan told Meir that war was not necessarily imminent while Elazar argued to strike Syrian air, missile and ground forces all that day.  Obviously Meir sided with Dayan and thus the Arabs were given the first opportunity to strike.

            At 2:00 pm on October 6^th, the Egyptian Air Force sent two hundred planes on a bombing mission to destroy Israeli targets.   Over the next three hours, Egypt sent over thirty thousand soldiers into the Sinai to attack the Israeli fortifications known as the Bar Lev Line.  Through the night, Egypt breached the Bar Lev Line and brought in hundreds of tanks and thousands of soldiers.  Over the next few days Israel held their ground with some casualties on both sides until Israel broke through with an offensive on October 14^th.  Starting on October 14^th, the IDF pierced a hole in the Egyptian ranks and, with the help of the IAF’s aerial support, drove the Egyptian army back.  By October 23^rd, the UN Security Council had passed a resolution for a ceasefire, which was immediately ignored by Egypt and Israel had pushed Egypt back to the 1967 borders and surrounded Egypt’s 3^rd army.  By October 28^th, after heavy efforts by the United States, a ceasefire was declared between Egypt and Israel and lasted until the more permanent treaty was signed in January of 1974.

            The northern front followed a pattern fairly similar to that of the southern front.  In the first couple of days, Syrian forces engaged thousands of tanks and infantrymen in the Golan and captured several key Israeli strongholds.  Israeli tanks and fortifications holding back massive Syrian forces until they were overwhelmed characterized the first couple days of the northern fight.  By the end of October 8^th, Israeli reservists had arrived and started pushing the Syrians back; the forces were at the 1967 lines by October 10^th.  Between October 11^th and October 14^th Israeli forces advanced towards Damascus, and at their closest point were shelling the Syrian capital at a distance of only 40km.  This offensive push into Syria incited Iran and Jordan to put men on the ground against Israel, although neither nation used many resources.  Over the nine days following October 14^th, Israel was attempting to rid the Golan of Syrian forces (it reclaimed Mr. Hermon on October 22^nd), while Arab forces were attempting to push Israel out of 1967 Syria.  Syrian President Hafez Al-Assad (Bashar’s father) accepted the ceasefire on October 23^rd and Iraq and Jordan followed suit.

            After many ceasefires had been called and it was looking as though the dust was settling, US Secretary of State Harry Kissinger (who won the Nobel Peace Prize for withdrawing from Vietnam) made a major effort for all the countries to sign peace deals.  Israel signed a peace treaty with Egypt in 1978 (Camp David Accords with Carter, Sadat, and Begin) and a treaty with Jordan in 1994 (Clinton, Hussein, and Rabin).  Israel and Syria have never signed a treaty.  Over the course of nineteen days, approximately 2,500 Israeli soldiers were lost while around 15,000 Arab (Egyptian, Syrian, Iraqi, and Jordanian) soldiers were lost. 

            So what does this mean for us in 5774?  As the tenth of Tishrei approaches we face a similar menace to that of forty years ago.  The IDF is receiving major cuts due to Israel’s national debt and Finance Minister Yair Lapid’s draconian budget cuts.  ­Israel does not need fewer defenses these days, but rather it needs its protectors more than ever.  The Shia crescent is becoming stronger by the day, even considering the weakened stance of Syrian President Bashar Al- Assad.  There is no political power in the office of the President of Iran; all real power rests in the hands of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khameini.  This means that nuclear reactors will keep spinning with the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program sprinting towards wielding the greatest weapon known to mankind.  The Shia crescent is not limited to Iran and Syria, but also includes Hezbollah, with both Israeli intelligence and it’s chief Hassan Nasrallah claiming that the terrorist organization possesses tens of thousands of missiles, all of which are aimed at Israel.  With turmoil in Syria, the possibility of Hezbollah gaining access to Assad’s vast supply of chemical weapons is more and more looming.

            The threats are not solely exterior, but also interior.  Ethnicity based clashes and vandalisms are becoming more and more common, not just on the Israeli side but also the Arab side.  Israeli extremists vandalize Muslim property on a regular basis in what are known as “price tag attacks”, which most often occur in Judea, Samaria, and Jerusalem.  These Israelis are called terrorists by the left but patriots by the right.  They are working against the Islamic threat posed by the “Palestinians”.  On the second day of Rosh Hashanah this year, Arabs were stoning Israeli security officers who were simply guarding the Western Wall area of the Temple Mount.  It shows that, although we would love to believe otherwise, those people have not changed.  We would love to have a peace deal with every country in the world, including the possibility of a Palestinian state, but we cannot do so with countries that will not even recognize our right to exist. 

            So then I ask that this weekend when you are in shul for Yom Kippur to think about Israel’s future.  Should we continue to rest on our laurels and not prepare for the challenges at hand in the hope that we can squeak out another victory as we did in 1973?  Or should we act now and repeat 1967?  Will you tell your children and grandchildren about how you pushed for Israel to allow a terrorist state within its historical and legal borders, or how you kept all of the Holy Land as Israel?  Will you stand idly by while Israel stares down the threat of Iran, or will you tell your politicians that we cannot accept this major threat to global security?  I beg of you to not sit on your hands with your head in the sand, but rather open your eyes and do something.  If not for yourself, then for Israel.  We have the power to put our voices (and our dollars) to use in strengthening the State of Israel.  The last question is for how long can we inscribe Israel into the Book of Life? The answer to that is up to you.

Shanah tova.

 

Michael Anfang is the USY International Chair for Israel Promotions 2013, USY International Co-Chair of Israel Challenge 2013, and Hanefesh USY Israel Affairs Vice President 2013-2014.  He is also Senior Middle East Fellow at the Longmeadow Secondary International Organization. "All opinions expressed are my own and do not intend to reflect the views and/or policies of USY on this matter."

 

Israel National Team Invites USY

Check out USY's personal invite to the Israel vs. Honduras soccer game this Sunday:

And don't forget to buy tickets at: tinyurl.com/ISRsoccer

Israel Plays Honduras Next Month at Citifield- Come and Show Your Support!

Written by Isabel Malmazada (METNY)

Next month, the Israeli National Soccer Team will play a friendly game against Honduras on June 2^nd, at the Citified Stadium in New York, just hours after the Israeli Day Parade.

This is Israel’s first time playing in New York in over thirty-five years; however, the game is just a warm up for the World Cup qualifiers. The Israeli national team is ranked No. 66 in the world and is led by coach Eli Guttman.

On May 13^th, Coach Eli Guttman along with player Daniel Amos held a phone call press conference in anticipation of the game. I had the privilege of being able to call in on this conference and ask them what their message is for the USY-ers and Schechter students from all over the region that are coming out to support Israel.

“The message [for the USY-ers] is [that] our country is a strong country. We want to develop our football and we want to show quality,” said Guttman, “For us, it’s very, very important that the young Jewish people that will come will leave the stadium proud about Israel’s national team.”

USY has built up a strong relationship with the Israel Football Association, and USY-ers will have the opportunity to partake in honorary roles before the game, like singing the Hatikvah.

I further asked what it means to be playing the same day as the Israeli day parade.

“It’s our job to represent Israeli football and the Israeli country as strong and professional,” said Guttman, “and one who is the best.”

Coincidentally, the New York region hosts the largest Jewish populations outside of Israel with more than 1.5 million Jews living in New York City, Long Island, and Westchester County.  

So, it’s going to be a great game next month! Check out USY’s personal invite to the game next month:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=-Bksv7QQCUU 

and make sure to get your tickets at: tinyrul.com/ISRsoccer

The Good Life

Written by Alex Good (Hagesher)

An experience I will never forget was being able to go on a USY Poland/Israel Pilgrimage Second Departure. Among many experiences, those that influenced me the most were trips to Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau. Visiting Mount Hertzel Cemetery in Israel blindsided me with a connection that was closer than I thought.

While in Poland we went to Auschwitz I. We walked up to the gate and saw “Arbeit Macht Frei”- “Work will set you free”. The sign I've often heard of was right in front of me, a historical symbol of Nazi inhumanity. The barracks held display cases filled with items collected from the prisoners. One case contained crutches, prosthetic legs and feet. Thinking about how these life-aiding items were forcibly removed from them evoked a sense of rage within me. When I approached the case full of hair, I witnessed my friend crying and saw another friend hug and console her. I arrived in a narrow hallway with cases on both sides containing mounds of shoes. When my friend put his around me, I realized that was the first true bonding experience of the trip. At that moment I started to cry.

                   

Our next destination was Auschwitz II-Birkenau. I walked in and saw the train tracks; an instant blow to the heart. The feeling that overcame me when I saw those train tracks, was one I will never have again. One of my counselors looked at me, saw that I was upset, and tied an Israeli flag onto my backpack. I walked onto the train tracks, with the wind blowing at the flag and I was immediately calmed. Even though I had not yet been to Israel and didn't have a strong emotional connection, standing on the tracks where thousands of Jewish people were systematically murdered, learning their history and honoring their memories laid the foundation for my evolving connection to Israel.

            

In Israel we visited Mount Hertzel Cemetery where fallen IDF soldiers are buried. Michael Levin was the son of a family in our community and the brother of one of my Hebrew school teachers.  When I approached his grave, the first thing I saw was an Eagles hat. Knowing Michael was an avid Philadelphia sports fan my first reaction was to smile. Without thinking I took my Flyers hat off and set it down next to his grave. Only then, realizing how similar our experiences were, did I begin to cry. Our connection runs much deeper than growing up in the same community; Michael also went on USY Poland/Israel Pilgrimage. 

These experiences impacted me in the way that made me realize I am a part of something bigger than myself. It reminds me of an important Jewish concept, L’dor V’dor: From Generation to Generation. I am proud to link my experiences with those of generations past.  I am proud to be able to tell my stories to future generations. I am proud to be Jewish.

My Best Friend is Five

Written by Lauren Kerner (Far West)

Pilgrimage was perfect! I wish I could tell you how many times I almost peed in my pants from laughing so hard (final count: 3 ½.) There was a moment for me to feel every single feeling under the sun: I felt overwhelmingly blessed when I landed in Tel Aviv for the very first time, I felt extremely connected to God at the Kotel on my first full day in Israel, I felt so loved by my amazing group (L’ Takayn Olam G3 2012! 15 strong! And the best 3 staff a USYer could ever hope for), I felt so infectiously happy when I was running around the Rambam Medical Center with my new 5 year old best friend, Shir, I felt empowered after accomplishing the remarkable feat of repainting an entire gymnasium in four hours, I felt like anything was possible in Israel and even though I was in hysterics in Ben-Gurion after saying goodbye to my staff and felt like the entire world ended when I boarded my flight back to California, I knew I had just experienced the greatest summer of my life and I would never trade it for the world.

This is one of my all time favorite pilgrimage stories- the scene is set: Haifa, Israel. Group 3 had moved into two well-sized dormitory styled homes on the Beit Rutenberg campus. Us girls definitely knew how to party and each night for a week, the communal showers in our house were filled with a Disney’s greatest hits song session. Each morning we would wake up at the crack of dawn, get ready for our volunteer placements (The Ofakim School for children with Cerebral Palsy, the Haifa Zoo, and the Meyer Children’s Hospital), eat a hearty breakfast, get some words of wisdom from our sainted host, Barry, and head out for the day in taxi busses. With four of  some of my closest friends, we drove down the humungous hill into Haifa and walked into the children’s hospital. We were given a brief tour on the first day and that was it! We were free to roam as we pleased and give our friendship and love to anyone we could find. I found Shir.

   

Let me tell you about Shir. She is the cutest, spunkiest, and silliest 5 year-old on the planet! I met Shir in the classroom of the Internal Medicine ward and we became instant buddies. On the first day, we had a blast getting to know each other by coloring and making jewelry and laughing at funny noises we could make. I don’t speak a single word of Hebrew and she didn’t speak a single word of English but that didn’t matter to us- we were soul sisters! On the next day, I returned and found Shir back in the classroom. We made more jewelry and spent more time singing En-Den-Dino and laughing with each other. Then, a nurse rushed in and told Shir and her mother that they needed to see the doctor immediately. Shir refused! She would not go unless I went with her. Her mother asked me if I could “please, please, please,” come with them. I thought for a few seconds, “Oh my gosh! That’s in the huge medical center… what if my rosh can’t find me? What if this? What if that?” and then I realized that those were stupid questions. This is what I came here to do; I came to make a difference in someone’s life and this was my chance. So hand in hand with my little friend, I went to all of Shir’s doctor’s appointments and infusions with all kinds of different doctors, but honestly, we had such a blast! Put two energetic girls in a big room with slippery floors and you’ve got two very loud singers doing the chicken dance in the middle of the Rambam Medical Center. It didn’t matter how old I was or where I was from, Shir and I were best friends.

           

That whole week was amazing. After volunteering, we would come back, have lunch, go on an afternoon adventure (those were so cool! Haifa has the Baha’i holy grounds, the Technion, an awesome Arab community, and the Grand Canyon Mall! It’s an awesome city.), return for drink and cake, a late afternoon program, dinner, an evening program, and then we’d do it all again the next day.

           

Haifa changed my life. The days I spent with Shir have become some of my most cherished memories. This little girl was an inspiration to me for the entire trip. When I said my goodbye to Shir, we were both in tears. She was crying because the bracelet we had just made broke and all of the beads were scattered across the floor of her hospital room. I was crying because of how much this little girl meant to me and how much she taught me about being happy and being strong. She gave me the biggest hug and kiss and she said in English, “I love you, Lauren!” and I walked out of the Meyer Children’s Hospital thinking that maybe I made a difference to her, but I knew the real difference was made in me. She changed my heart and taught me that you don’t need to have anything in common with a person to love them and that no matter where you are or what circumstances you find yourself in, you can always be happy. The day our group left Haifa, Shir was able to go home. Nothing made me happier knowing that my little friend was back to mischief and being a little girl again. I think about Shir all the time and I am constantly in contact with her family via Facebook. Shir calls me her sister, and it’s true- I now have this beautiful, amazing family to call my own in Haifa and I know that I will back to visit them soon.

Yom Haatzmaut Through the Eyes of a TRY-er

Written by Michael Seidenfeld (METNY)

Yom HaAtzmaut in Israel is quite a unique experience. Sure, we have 4^th of July in America, but the passion and meaning is nowhere near the same level as in Israel. First, it starts off with Yom HaZikaron, the Day of Remembrance, the day before. On this day Israelis commemorate all the fallen soldiers, which sadly tends to be a very close-to-home issue in a country like Israel.

         
But, as the sun goes down and services end, it’s like you switch between two different worlds. Almost instantly Israel becomes one massive party. The streets of Ben Yehuda are filled to the brim with people all dancing, singing, and rejoicing. There’s music and DJs at every corner, people are spraying confetti everywhere; it’s as if the entire nation of Israel becomes one big nightclub overnight. All through the night people carry on like this, until the next day comes and the festivities continue. The custom is to have a big barbeque (like in the US), so during my time in Israel on TRY, we went to the beach for the day, hanging out in the sun, a grilling up chicken. It was an amazing experience unlike any other.

     
Nowhere else have I felt such a sense of community and camaraderie with total strangers. It was certainly an experience I’ll remember and cherish forever.

AIPAC: A Trip of a Life Time

Written by Miles Greenspoon (Seaboard)

Dear fourteen-year-old Miles,

It’s me here. Well, you, to be exact. Even though I know this letter will never get to the past, I feel compelled to write it. You’re about to enter high school, which means a lot more USY activities. But between your chapter’s convention preparations and your Skype calls with your Wheels friends, a lot of your time will surround Israel. Even if you don’t go to Israel during high school (trust me, you’ll try your hardest but it just won’t work out), you’ll still want to advocate for Israel, educate others about Israel, and fall in love with everything about Israel over and over again.

It’s important that you develop that feeling as soon as possible, because it’s going to serve you well when USY brings you along to three AIPAC Policy Conferences in the next four years.

Yeah, you read that right: three. You’ll be attending the AIPAC Policy Conference in your freshman, junior, and senior years of high school. And let me tell you, every experience you have is going to be amazing in its own, unique way – that’s the way AIPAC does it. And each year, you will fall in love with Israel all over again.

Each year, you will be awed by just how large the plenary room is. You’ll see thousands upon thousands of people: AIPAC delegates, board members and volunteers; news reporters; clergy members of all religions; adults and students like you who care deeply about Israel. Each year, you will feel a sense of pride when a speaker mentions the thousands of students in the room, and the rest of the room gives you a standing ovation (keep on smiling even after it happens for the fourth or fifth time during the conference). Each year, you will hear insightful speakers talk about both the trials and tribulations Israel must face as well as the innovations Israel has created. Each year, you will fall in love with Israel all over again.

But each year, your understanding of Israel will mature. Your questions directed at speakers will be more thoughtful, more insightful. You will listen to your senators with more resolve, knowing that they are amongst the biggest Israel supporters in the Senate. You will see the AIPAC Policy Conference in a new light, appreciating the different yearly theme even more and everything that it says about the relationship between the United States and Israel. Each year, you will be even more determined to commit yourself as an ally of Israel. Each year, you will fall in love with Israel all over again.

Even if you never do get to read these words, fourteen-year-old Miles, you will get to experience these feelings. Not only do you have the opportunity of a lifetime, you get to take USY up on that offer three times. I can’t wait to see what we both do with the information we learn from AIPAC, and I can’t wait to watch you fall in love with Israel all over again.

Yours truly,

Miles Greenspoon (eighteen-year-old Miles, that is)