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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