Thousands Of Ethiopians Protest In Jerusalem

Even as Israel continues to promise the Falash Mura and the American Jewish community that immigration will be stepped up, the actual numbers of those brought to Israel continues to fall.

Ha'aretz and Reuters report:

Thousands of Israelis of Ethiopian origin marched in Jerusalem on Sunday to protest against a delay in plans to bring their relatives to the Jewish state.

The Israeli government decided in February to double the immigration rate of the community known as the Falasha Mura, so as to bring over 20,000 people by 2007, but the number arriving in Israel has actually fallen in recent months.

"Why have they not been brought to Israel, even though the government has made the decision to do so?" said Jerry Faradam, 33, a student activist with an Ethiopian lobby group who said he had not seen some family members in 15 years.

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"The answer is that we are poor Africans, not rich Americans. We don't have the money or clout to make it happen."

The Immigrant Absorption Ministry blamed the delay on Ethiopian elections, saying it had been impossible to finalize details sooner.

"Prime Minister (Ariel) Sharon has said he will do anything it takes to bring the Falasha Mura to Israel," a spokeswoman said. She said details would be worked out next week to allow the remaining members of the community to be brought to Israel.

Israel is home to more than 100,000 Jews of Ethiopian origin, who trace their roots to the biblical King Solomon and Queen of Sheba. The word Falasha means exiles in Ethiopia's Amharic language.

Many Ethiopian Jews were flown to Israel in airlifts during 1984's famine and the end of Ethiopia's civil war in 1991.

The Falasha Mura, who were converted - sometimes forcibly - to Christianity in the 19th and 20th centuries, are eager to migrate to revive their Jewish roots and escape poverty.

Protesters said conditions were worsening for the Falasha Mura community waiting to leave Ethiopia.

"My aunt sold everything she had so she could come to Israel," said Getenat Awoke. "They are now stuck in Addis Ababa living in poverty with no assistance from the Israeli government."

Comments

[Adam]

This is not specific to the article. I finished reading about Chabad's efforts for Hurricaine Wilma, and how other Jewish organizations are giving them money to help because of the wonderful things they've done. I would like to officially say I'm never coming back to this website. Everything on here is written in hate whether it might have validity or not. And you and Jewish Whistle Blower and all your like have serious psychological hangups and disorders, pathalogical lying being one of them. I, after long talks with you, went and asked the sources you claimed excommunicated you or gave you information on various violent acts you claim the Rebbe supported and all of your citations were false. Additionally you claimed to not hate Chabad and that you would post something they did that was exceptionally good, well that has yet to happen on your part. You are a fraud and a fake and may Hashem erase your name from this planent until you do teshuva.

I hope all anti-Jewish websites and rhetoric dissappear, and that you use all of your energy to start being constructive instead of destructive.

[Shmarya]

Really.

1. Rabbi Asher Zeilengold: a) Will not count me in a minyan, b) will not give me an aliya, c) will not let me lead the congregation in prayer. This has been in effect for 19 months.

2. The shul board agreed to have me as a member with the folling caveats: a) I cannot be counted in a minyan, b) I cannot have an aliya, and c) I cannot lead the shul in prayer. This has been in effect for more than one year.

3. Chabad and violent acts:

The primary issue at hand from your many e-mails is the beating of Chanad Gourary in Crown Heights. You deny this beating happened, and you call me a liar for reporting on it.

But the beating happened. No informed person denies this. there is a police report. There are witnessess to Chana Gourary's transport to and care in the hospital. There are pictures. There are witnesses who heard about the beating from the assailant. And on and on.

There is also the issue of Rabbi Rivkin. That was documented in the Yiddish Forward (and other Yiddish papers) at the time of the incidents.

4. Chabad and hurricane aid.

I made it quite clear over several posts the the problem with Chabad's Katrina aid was twofold: 1) The aid was directed to Jews only and, b) Chabad promoted its aid as non-sectarian. This is fraud.

Wilma. That Chabad delivered water and meals to elderly jews in South Florida is a good thing, but that the meals arrived Friday afternoon but Chabad waited until Saturday night to start the distribution is a questionable thing. If the water and meals were so critical, they should have been distributed on Shabbat. If not, it raises a question on the necessity of that aid. Although still a good thing, its "critical mass" drops off a bit. It is also noteworthy that Chabad did not claim nonsectarian aid for Wilma.

Bottom line: You falsely accuse me of lying about events that are easily documentable. The facts are clear – it is you who are incorrect.

(Note that I do not accuse you of lying. From your e-mails I believe you to be sincere but misguided, and extremely naiive about Chabad and its history.)

[Isa]

Shmarya:
What you still go to Chabad shul!!
You should go to the smaller Conservative one, yeah I know but it is better than people hissing at you.
ISA

[Shmarya]

Nope. Friends tried to work out a compromise between the shul board and myself. The shul's compromise was to count me as a member but NOT in its minyans, etc., as noted above.

Another friend tried to work out a deal whereby I would remove all content from the website except the Rebbe's letter, my letters, and various teshuvot, and the name of the website would be changed to something less inflammitory. That was also rejected.

[Shmarya]

Another friend tried to work out a deal with Rabbi Friedman, that he would broker. Manis insisted on the website coming down first (or the name being changed and ***ALL*** content being removed). Then he would ask the shul and Rabbi Z. to reinstate me.

I asked my friend what the compromise was. I give everything and wait to see if the community gives anything in return.

His answer? It was the best deal he could get from Rabbi Friedman.

[rebtsvi]

You know, sometimes you have good points. Your work on Kashrut and Shechita has been on target.

Some of your historical stuff has been on the mark.

But what is clear is your inability to be a dispassionate reporter.

The connection made between you and JWB I believe is accurate.

Sometimes you go from reporting what's going on to creating it.

For example, did you see the report about Rabbi Youdkevitch from the Kabbalah Center being arrested? It even made Drudge Report.

But there's no mention here?

You attack everyone. Chabad, Satmar, Mea Shearim, with one brush. As if they are connected when clearly, they are not.

Set aside your anger and build a better blog.

And find another shul. Who cares what they think?

Did you expect to smear them and them give you Chatan Torah?

I don't understand why you even want to daven there.

[rebtsvi]

You know, sometimes you have good points. Your work on Kashrut and Shechita has been on target.

Some of your historical stuff has been on the mark.

And your work on Ethiopian Jews has been first rate.

But what is clear is your inability to be a dispassionate reporter.

The connection made between you and JWB I believe is accurate.

Sometimes you go from reporting what's going on to creating it.

For example, did you see the report about Rabbi Youdkevitch from the Kabbalah Center being arrested? It even made Drudge Report.

But there's no mention here?

You attack everyone. Chabad, Satmar, Mea Shearim, with one brush. As if they are connected when clearly, they are not.

Set aside your anger and build a better blog.

And find another shul. Who cares what they think?

Did you expect to smear them and them give you Chatan Torah?

I don't understand why you even want to daven there.

[Shmarya]

1. I don't usually cover the Kabbala Center because I don't consider them to be within normative Judaism.

2. I may have covered that particular story if TypePad had been working when I saw it. But TypePad was down, and has been very slow for days. (There are dozens of TypePad blogs planning on moving to another provider …)

3. It's the only shul in town. I went there, I sponsored and organized events and classes, helped maintain the shul, etc. for 22 years. It is a shul founded with monies from the sale of other shuls, and I have family connections going back more than 100 years with some of them. I also still have friends who go there.

But realize these proposed 'compromises' date back more than one year, and my desire to return to Adath Israel has greatly diminished in the interim.

[Richard C.]

We Jews must learn to accept criticism when we do something wrong, otherwise we will never make improvements as human beings. If the criticism is valid, we need to change our behavior for the better, and walk in the path of Hashem. To call someone anti-Jewish because they are criticizing Jews for doing the wrong thing is not correct. There are no perfect Jews in this world. We must be courageous enough to admit our false, and correct our behavior. Only human beings have that ability.

[Brian Kresge]

Kudos to you for not caving, but even more for sticking with your shul, even if you and they disagree. It says a lot about both you and them.

I'd like to defend Chabad on the whole Hurricane Katrina recovery. First, they did do a tremendous job distributing kosher food, rescuing Torahs, etc., and considering the devastation occured in Elul, ultimately they helped many Jews into a new year.

However, they did offer a lot of non-sectarian aid. In fact, there were 18 stranded non-observant Israelis at the New Orleans airport who received Chabad help. I joke, but they also helped set up the Astrodome, and found housing for many evacuees. Sure, the majority were Jewish, but they helped everyone who came to them.

Seriously, you can be proud of Chabad in this instance. I don't know about Wilma. I wasn't on hand for that one, but with Katrina and Rita, Chabad did wonderful work.

It's more than can be said for many of the spiritual carpetbaggers who crawled out of the woodwork. The ephemeral aid of the Jews for Jesus and other missionary groups came in the form of "Come to Jesus because disaster is divine punishment" pamphlets. Well, maybe not the Jews for Jesus specifically, but they are annoying where ever they are.

[Brian Kresge]

Kudos to you for not caving, but even more for sticking with your shul, even if you and they disagree. It says a lot about both you and them.

I'd like to defend Chabad on the whole Hurricane Katrina recovery. First, they did do a tremendous job distributing kosher food, rescuing Torahs, etc., and considering the devastation occured in Elul, ultimately they helped many Jews into a new year.

However, they did offer a lot of non-sectarian aid. In fact, there were 18 stranded non-observant Israelis at the New Orleans airport who received Chabad help. I joke, but they also helped set up the Astrodome, and found housing for many evacuees. Sure, the majority were Jewish, but they helped everyone who came to them.

Seriously, you can be proud of Chabad in this instance. I don't know about Wilma. I wasn't on hand for that one, but with Katrina and Rita, Chabad did wonderful work.

It's more than can be said for many of the spiritual carpetbaggers who crawled out of the woodwork. The ephemeral aid of the Jews for Jesus and other missionary groups came in the form of "Come to Jesus because disaster is divine punishment" pamphlets. Well, maybe not the Jews for Jesus specifically, but they are annoying where ever they are.

[Brian Kresge]

It should be noted, the only reason I say this is because I saw it firsthand. My National Guard unit from Pennsylvania was deployed for five weeks in New Orleans and the surrounding towns.

As it happened, I think they managed to consolidate the only two observant Jews in the Pennsylvania Guard for this mission. Our attached chaplain happened to be the only rabbi currently in the Pennsylvania Guard. I haven't actually seen a rabbi in uniform since 1994. I mean, I've heard they exist in the US military, but I've never been fortunate enough to be stationed where they are stationed.