nationalistic motivation. I admire them
their conviction but not their day-to-day
life.
The husband enjoys his work, but the
wife is unhappy She misses family, friends,
the conveniences of American life that we
take for granted. She is worried about the
nearby Arab population, worried when her
children go off to school, worried about the
day her son will be called into the army.
What can one say to comfort her,
especially one soon to return to the U.S.?
That she and her family are living the
Zionist dream?
True, but dreams fade in the wake of dai-
ly struggles to make ends meet, to
establish personal ties, to overcome the
pressures of Jewish squabbling and Arab
threats. The truth is that she and her fami- The Jewish settlement of Shiloh, an enclave of 90 families surrounded by Arab villages.
ly are the frontline of the Jewish people,
and it is their courage — and our guilt —
Rabbi Cohen's charge: "to put them on
that "when we came here in 1978, there
that must be acknowledged.
their
feet physically, educationally and
was
nothing
but
hills
—
we
displaced
no
The courage of the settlers of a small
emotionally.
We were given a year to in-
Arabs."
religious settlement in Shiloh, in Samaria,
tegrate them and have them move on. We
They
came
to
fulfill
the
mitzvah
of
set-
00
brave
is even more problematic. These 5
did it in six months."
tling the land, and they are hoping to at-
souls have chosen to live where the Prophet
But not without great pain. These
tract
others.
Shiloh
now
has
90
families
Samuel made his home, to reclaim the land
children were separated from their families
and
is
planning
to
build
20
more
homes
in
for Jews. But they are isolated, surrounded
hopes that young families will choose a who could not endure the dangerous
by Arab villages and towns in what is
way of life blending religion, Zionism and journey by foot from the Gondar province
known as the West Bank.
of Ethiopia to the Sudan, and rescue.
the pioneering spirit. Medad stressed that
Israel Medad (formerly Stan Winkelman,
"Some of the children are still in deep
the
air
is
clean
and
there
is
no
traffic.
when he lived in Chicago and graduated
mourning,
grieving for their families. They
About
half
of
the
members
work
outside
from Yeshiva University in the mid-1960s)
couldn't
even
say good-bye before they
of the community, commuting home from
is a spokesman for the group, and he noted
left," said Rabbi Cohen. Many still feel
Jerusalem or other cities each day. There
guilt for having survived, having seen
is a Hesder yeshiva in Shiloh, one of 12
such institutions in the country where friends "drop by the wayside" on the trek.
Of all the immigrant groups who have
young men fulfill their military obligations
come to Israel over the last four decades,
while pursuing advanced Talmudic studies.
The people we met seemed content, con- the Ethiopians have the highest suicide
rate.
fident that they are raising their children
Rabbi Cohen told of children who were
in a healthy Jewish environment. If only
beaten, raped, and imprisoned along the
there were more Jews, they say, we would
be strengthened. True for Shiloh, and all way. And of a 10-year-old who had to bury
both of his parents by hand, an act he
of Israel.
The most inspiring visit we made was to repeats every day at Hofim. "Is it any
wonder he can't concentrate or learn?" the
a Youth Aliyah Absorption Center at
rabbi asked.
Hofim, in the north, where the Zionist
There is also the adjustment to a dif-
dream is being fulfilled, day in and day out.
ferent kind of Judaism, for their laws date
The hundreds of youngsters there are
Ethiopian Jews whose parents, if they are back to the days of King Solomon and no
further.
still alive, are back in Africa.
And yet the successes at Hofim have
Rabbi Nachum Cohen, who made aliyah
become almost routine. The youngsters
from Scranton, Pennsylvania some 20
years ago, runs the Center with caring and learn Hebrew, are given computer training
and are taught how to work with their
savvy. "We saved every single kid of the
hands
in shop and mechanical drafting.
800 who have passed through here," he said
"We've had our hands full,' said Rabbi
with pride.
Cohen, "and it is a difficult responsibility.
He claims no special knowledge of Ethio-
Our job is far from over. It's really just
pian Jewish life or culture, only a will-
begun.
ingness to do whatever is necessary to ease
"All the money and staff in the world
the traumatic transition. "I had two days
won't rehabilitate these kids until their
and nights to prepare before the first group
families arrive here, too, and they can be
arrived"In April, 1985, six months before
reunited. What we did for the Soviet Jews
Operation Moses began. About three-
— the political and diplomatic influence
quarters of the first 150 children were
and public pressure — needs to be done for
hospitalized with malaria, typhoid fever,
the
thousands of Jews still in Ethiopia.
mumps or measles, coming from a country
A young Ethiopian Jew at Hofim, where he is being trained to take
"All
they live and dream for is the prayer
up a profession.
where the life expectancy is between 37
of
coming
home to Jerusalem." 0
and 40.
.
28
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1987