In May of 1991, I was a freshman in college studying abroad outside of Tel Aviv. One Saturday afternoon I saw an El Al jumbo jet circle over head seemingly 20 times. I assumed, since El Al did not fly on Shabbat, that it was the same plane flying over and over on some type of maintenance test run.
About 4 hours later, when Shabbat had ended, the news broke. In the quiet of the Shabbat night, Israel sent all of its El Al planes to Ethiopia to pick up Jewish people yarning to come home. It was called Operation Solomon. 36 jets, El AL and C-130s were filled with Ethiopian men, women and children totaling more than 15,000 in all. In fact, there were more that landed then took off because some pregnant women gave birth in the air!
When these new Israelis landed, most were overwhelmed. They laughed because they had never seen white Jews before! Also, you must understand that they had never seen electricity, thus they did not know the purpose of a light switch. They had never used a toilet, yet alone flush one. Cars and planes and technology was something even their imagination had yet to absorb. Their palate had to be slowly integrated into Middle Eastern fare. Hummus and falafel were something their digestive systems could not handle right away.
The next day after those planes landed, I along with some friends from college went to the center where many of the new olim were living. It was a giant shelter in a large warehouse; cots strewn everywhere, lots of noise, sections for kids to play with toys and food being served while doctors made rounds checking on the ill.
It was clear when we walked in and around we were NOT from the flight but were part of the local team. Ethiopian kids clung to our legs and men and women hugged us and smiled from ear to ear. In broken Hebrew they said, “todah” meaning, thank you. We could not share much spoken language but we all were able to communicate in the shared dialect of hugs, smiles and laughter. It was a moment that will forever be imbedded in my mind.
Perhaps most overwhelming and pride-filling is the fact that Israel was the only country in the history of the world that took black people from Africa towards freedom. Every other country took black people from Africa to enslave them.
Nary a time passes that I am in Israel where I do not see an Ethiopian mother walking the streets or a young soldier standing a post and I wonder, was it he that laughed with me? Was it she that hugged us to say thank you? Did I cut up boiled potatoes for that one to share?
This morning, our group did three amazing things, all which jogged this sweet memory in my mind.
First, we met with Miss Israel, 2013, Titi Aynaw. She shared her story with us about her pilgrimage to Israel and her discovery of herself and her rich history and unbridled future. Titi is stunning to see but her deepest beauty is on the inside.
From there we shared in Buna with Avi and Mimi, two Olim, (émigrés) from Ehtiopia. Buna is the traditional Ethiopian bread and coffee that is shared with the elders and friends in the community. In Netanya, a center was established where Ethiopian boys and girls, born in Israel can come once a week and learn about their Ethiopian culture.
That is not a typo. I wrote it correctly.
These boys and girls are such a part of the Israeli systems and culture that the Ethiopian community did not want their lush history to be lost for the sake of integration and assimilation. Elders in the community meet weekly and share customs, teachings and foods so the influences of Ethiopian can continue for future generations.
Our day capped off meeting Sivan Yaari in the Google campus of Tel Aviv. Sivan founded a program called Innovation Africa that simply brings Israeli technologies to underserved communities in Africa, including Ethiopia. Her work includes solar panels, electricity, drip irrigation and running water pumps. This helps with education, refrigeration, medicinal needs and safer water for consumption. It is Israeli technology and the Jewish spirit teaming up to save lives. Wow.
These innovations, acceptance and leadership are all just small bricks that have laid the foundation of us being a gorgeous community that indeed is a light unto the nations.
Of course, this country is not perfect. Like all other places, it has problems and warts. But, I will take the good of this country any-day and I wear my Zionism proudly on my sleeve knowing this country’s leadership and citizenry are committed to improving the world each day.
Onward and upward!
