SEPTEMBER 17 • 2020 | 53
said. “He was impressed with
the work we are doing, and he
wants to be part of this.
”
Moges told the JN in late
August that LOZA leaders,
with help from Shabtay, have
also submitted letters to Morav
and to the Israeli government
requesting official recognition
for the community as Jews.
Morav said the two issues
are separate. “The recognition
of the communities in North
Shewa and Kechene is a total-
ly different issue [from aid]
and not in the competence of
MASHAV or the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs of Israel,
” he
said.
Although aliyah is their
ultimate goal, LOZA leaders
now are focused on increasing
their open practice of Judaism
in Ethiopia, securing a Jewish
cemetery and modernizing
and optimizing agricultural
and occupational potential to
stem widespread poverty.
The Friends group paid 18
months rent for the LOZA
building, funded a mask-mak-
ing factory there and is work-
ing on the cemetery project.
The group recently connect-
ed with Kulanu, a New York
City-based organization that
works with emerging/isolated
Jewish communities in 30-plus
countries. Kulanu published
a paper about the Jews of
Kechene in 2009 but did little
work with them since. This
week, Kulanu gave a $3,450
grant for a lawyer to ask the
government for cemetery land;
another $3,450 will come if he
succeeds.
Morav said two projects to
be implemented by year’
s end
“will make a big difference in
their quality of life.
”
In one, Israel’
s advanced
methods will help the com-
munity shift from subsistence
farming to commercial agri-
culture. The other includes
the installation of a solar water
pump to provide potable water
year-round.
“When I first met Suzi
[Colman], I didn’
t think change
would happen like this,
” Moges
said. “The Americans are the
first organized partners from
the outside with the courage
and determination to do more
and more to change the lives of
our community members. It is
huge to have someone helping
us.
“Now we are seeing the
fruits of our efforts. We hope
this is a start with the embas-
sy that opens doors to many
things.”
On Sept. 17, the Friends of the Beta
Israel of North Shewa were sched-
uled to hold a virtual meeting with
LOZA leaders and Jewish journalists
to spread word about the community.
“Now we are seeing the fruits
of our eff
orts. We hope this is
a start with the embassy that
opens doors to many things.”
— MICHAEL MOGES
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