In November 2021, the Government of Israel voted to bring 3,000 Ethiopian Jews to Israel. The 3,000 Ethiopian olim include parents, children and siblings of relatives already in Israel. To support this historic effort, Jewish Federations of North America intended to raise $5 million to prepare, transport, and help resettle these new olim. Locally, Philadelphia committed to raising $200,000. This emergency campaign, called “Operation Zur Israel” is especially critical given an increasingly violent civil war in Ethiopia. 

Due to a court appeal by the Israeli Immigration Policy Center, on February 2, 2022, Israel’s High Court issued an order to temporarily pause the evacuation of 3,000 Ethiopians to Israel. We are pleased to share that on Tuesday, March 15, 2022, the High Court decided to remove the interim order to halt the immigration – a testament to the validity and urgency of Operation Zur Israel. 

During the temporary pause, our fundraising outreach continued as our partners in Israel proceeded with their efforts to aid in the preparation for aliyah. Thanks to the generosity of this community, we are well on the way to bringing home 3,000 Ethiopian Jews. In support of this important work, Marcy Gringlas and Joel Greenberg from Seed the Dream Foundation have offered a $60,000 matching grant to be matched dollar for dollar. 

If you would like to help us leverage these additional dollars to make an even greater impact, you can make your gift here. 

Leverage the Matching Grant to Double Your Impact
Click here to donate to Operation Zur Israel