Operation Promise

Operation Promise is a $160 million supplemental initiative of the North American Jewish federations. This campaign will raise additional funds to provide additional support to Jews in the former Soviet Union and Ethiopian Jews – those already in Israel, as well as those still waiting to immigrate.

In recent years, our allocations have not been sufficient to provide necessary support for the rescue and resettlement of the Ethiopian community.

That is why each federation community is being asked to raise an additional 20 percent of their annual campaigns over the next three years. Our fair share in the MetroWest community translates to $4.8 million. To make a contribution to support Operation Promise, please click here.

THE NEED:
There are 17,000 Jews still in Ethiopia living under the most deplorable conditions in Addis Ababa and Gondar. They are waiting endlessly to emigrate.

Another 8,000 are in Israel in absorption centers, where they can stay from several months up to two years. The cost to maintain one person in one center for one year is $4,370.

More than 100,000 Ethiopian Jews have already settled in Israel. But their life is anything but settled; many struggle to assimilate into Israeli society and become financially independent.

• More than 70 percent live in poverty.
• Most of the adults do not know Hebrew.
• More than half of the men are unemployed.
• One in every four teens drops out of high school. Of those who do graduate, very few qualify for university admission.

What will Operation Promise do for Ethiopian Jews?

It will support a continued rescue necessary to get those still in Ethiopia home to Israel. The goal is to increase the rate of aliyah of Ethiopian Jews from 300 to 600 a month. Fixed expenses for this group include housing, rent, food, security, healthcare, Hebrew language instruction – plus 600 air fares a month.

The scope of the initial absorption process will double. Centers and programs will be expanded as needed to ensure that the entire emigration is complete by the end of 2007.

For Ethiopians struggling to succeed in Israel, Operation Promise will offer preparatory programs to two-thirds of all preschoolers; remedial help to five out of seven high-schoolers who need it; and university scholarships to 2,300 young adults.

Bringing our Ethiopian Jews home is only the beginning. Education is the key to the future of the Ethiopian community in Israel. That is why this initiative is crucial. They must be empowered to make their own way. Only an educated population, one generation after another, can do this.

Your support to help us keep our promise is critical. To learn more, or call 973/929.3041. You can also click here to make a contribution to support Operation Promise.

Live Generously.™
Nothing is more Powerful!