Insight

kdastzagax:

NECHEMIAH MEYERS

Israel Correspondent

Rehovot, Israel
ost of the concern about
the flood of non-Jews
arriving in Israel over the
last few years has related to
people from the former Soviet Union.
Indeed, the Ministry of Absorption
now says that at least one-third of
those who have arrived are not
Jewish — and the number is
believed to be even higher.
In most respects, however,
those newcomers pose less of a
social and economic problem
than the much smaller number of
non Jews now arriving from
Ethiopia. While the bulk of
Ethiopians arrived in 1986 and
1991, another group, who came
from the Quara region, are now
emigrating and living at the
Mevasseret-Zion Absorption
Center on the outskirts of
Jerusalem. A major difference
between the Quara natives and
the earlier arrivals is that the
newer group descends from peo-
ple who converted to
Christianity, sometimes by force.
Micha Feldman, a veteran
Israeli activist with Ethiopian
Jews, says it's difficult to differen-
tiate between the genuine Jews
and the descendants of those who con-
verted to Christianity generations ago.
This is because Ethiopian Jews have
retained close ties with the converts
and feel obligated to testify to their
Jewishness, even if this is not strictly
the case according to Jewish law.
Compounding this is that objective
circumstances have made the absorp-
tion of Ethiopians, whatever their
degree of Jewish identity, particularly
difficult. Most of them have little or
no western education in Israel's
increasingly high-tech society For that
matter, many cannot even read or
write in their own language of
Amharic. And while no official figures
are available, their divorce rate gener-
ally is known to be extremely high —
even further complicating the Jewish
lineage of their families.
What proved the breaking point for
many of these Quara Jews, as they're
known, was the controversy about four
donations in Israel
years ago over
from Ethiopians. The crisis erupted

Nic

Remember
When • •

Ideas & Issues

Ethiopian absorption
in Israel seems to have
its stars as well as
work left to achieve.

amongst some of their native teens.
Mind you, this group of Quara
teens is not in the majority even
among their peers. Indeed, also at the
bus station — the central passing
ground of all Israeli society — one can
see a far greater number of young
Ethiopian immigrants proudly wearing

Ghetto Blasters

From the pages of the Jewish News for
this week 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50
years ago.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center held
its first national leadership confer-
ence iri Washington, D.C.
Alan Funk, executive vice presi-
dent of the Jewish Home for Aged,
was chosen as the 1990 recipient of
the Dr. Herbert Shore Young
Executive Award.

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Hadassah and Israel Bond leader
Suzanne Kaufman was designated
Hadassah Woman of the Year.
Rosenberg Kosher Caterers
began providing services for Jewish
clients at the Michigan Inn,
Southfield.

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The American Jewish Joint
Distribution Committee has dis-
tributed about half of the 3,100
Torah scrolls brought to Israel from
Romania.
Harry L. Blitz was slated to
receive the Shofar Award of the
National Council of Young Israel at
a banquet in New York.

.

when — in order to avoid
Ethiopian children
offending the newcomers
crowd around news- the uniform of the Israel
— their blood donations
man Donald Harrison Defense Forces.
But, one wonders,
were accepted and then
to get a look at his
summarily discarded. The
digital camera. what will happen to them
when they leave active
authorities felt this was a
service?
Hopefully,
many will follow
polite way of avoiding telling them that
in
the
footsteps
of
Ethiopian-born
their donations were not needed
M.A. student Sara Eyasu. She recent-
because of the relatively high level of
ly spoke about absorption problems
AIDS among such immigrants.
to a group of visiting Jewish journal-
Those Ethiopians, many of whom
ists here for the biannual interna-
were having absorption difficulties any-
tional Jewish journalists convention.
way, interpreted this decision as ram-
Eyasu hopes, she concluded, to serve
pant racism, as a rejection of "black
as a role model for the young people -
blood." And in a reaction that at first
of her own community.
included angry protests, some of the
Eyasu is well suited for the task
younger Ethiopians symbolically opted
both academically and because she
out of Israeli society. Today, their alien-
clearly identifies as an Israeli. Asked
ation is on display at such places as the
Central Bus Station in Tel Aviv. Groups by one reporter whether she planned
to marry an Ethiopian or someone
of them wander about carrying enor-
from another background, Eyasu
mous "ghetto blaster" radios and dress-
blushed for a moment. Then she
ing in the style of some African-
replied, "I'll marry a man I love, no
American youths in America's inner
matter what his color or culture."
cities. It's all quite startling to Israelis,
After all, in Israel it is highly likely
who only in recent years have
that the culture will be Jewish. ❑
become accustomed to nose rings

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The rst shipment of Israe -made
cars, 600 Sabra station wagons, was
loaded in Haifa for transportation
to the United States.
Mrs. Philip Shapiro was re-elected
president of the Fidelity Ladies Club.
The first Bert Kanterman
Memorial Scholarship given by the
Detroit Professional Photographers
Association was presented to Jack
Go rback.

A young, non-Jewish Spaniard
who entered Israel illegally was
imprisoned for three days and
fined, but still permitted to
remain in the country. He claimed
to be descended from a Marrano
family.
Irving Fields was named Man
of the Year by the Greater Detroit
B'nai B'rith Council.

Compiled by Sy Manello,
Editorial Assistant

Jig

3/17
2000

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