Dear Friends of Keren Hayesod,

We are proud to welcome home 416 Ethiopian Jews who arrived in Israel this week, leaving behind tremendous hardships and completing a long-awaited journey home! 

These new immigrants are the first among 2,000 Ethiopian Jews that the Government of Israel has approved to make Aliyah by Spring 2021. Keren Hayesod will be supporting them in partnership with the Jewish Agency for Israel and the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration.

These new immigrants have arrived during an ongoing lockdown in Israel. While their families were unable to join them at the airport, the first flight of new immigrants still enjoyed a celebration of this momentous occasion.

Minister of Aliyah and Integration Pnina Tamano-Shata accompanied them, and they were greeted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Alternate Prime Minister Benny Gantz, Chairman of the Executive of the Jewish Agency for Israel Isaac Herzog and other dignitaries.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the new immigrants: “You have waited a long time to realize this dream, and today it is coming true.” 

The new immigrants will immediately enter quarantine, in alignment with government protocols relating to the pandemic.

Sam Grundwerg, Keren Hayesod World Chairman: “I am proud to welcome home the first new immigrants from Ethiopia as part of Operation Tzur Israel. Keren Hayesod has always and will continue to support the immigration and absorption of immigrants from Ethiopia and around the world.”