Ethiopian Jews

Zionism didn’t start in Europe, and Ethiopian Jews can prove it - opinion

For more than 2,500 years, Ethiopian Jewish leaders preserved Jewish law, ritual, and identity in one of the most isolated Jewish communities on Earth.

|BySHMUEL LEGESSE
ETHIOPIAN JEWS take part in a prayer of the Sigd holiday on the Armon Hanatziv Promenade overlooking Jerusalem, in November 2025.
Nine-year-old Haymanot Kasau.

Haymanot Kasau's disappearance: Why Israel must fix how it handles missing children - opinion

If Israel is to honor Haymanot Kasau and every child who depends on the state’s vigilance, it must remember this truth: When a child disappears, time is the enemy and urgency is our only defense.

|BySHMUEL LEGESSE
Ethiopian Jews take part in Sigd celebrations, November 2025

Sigd celebrations bring thousands of Ethiopian Israelis to Jerusalem

Sigd is a time to honor the memory of the thousands of Ethiopian Jews who died on the way to Israel.

|ByANOUK CARTER-DORF, ESTHER DAVIS, LEO FEIERBERG BETTER
Ethiopian Jews take part in a prayer of the Sigd holiday on the Armon Hanatziv Promenade overlooking Jerusalem on November 28, 2024.

'We are only one link in the chain': MK Moshe Solomon speaks on unity in Israel before Sigd

“My message from the Sigd is that we must break free from the mindset of division. Each of us must relinquish a bit of ego and absolute righteousness for the sake of the collective," MK Solomon said.

|ByJOSH ARONSON

Ethiopian holiday of Sigd: A true reflection of Israel's diversity - opinion

We celebrate Sigd with love, pride, and joy. And with that same love, we ask Israel to embrace our future, to open doors, expand opportunities, and allow us to serve our country at the highest levels

NOVEMBER 18, 2025BySHMUEL LEGESSE
Members of the Israeli-Ethiopian community take part in a ceremony marking the Ethiopian Jewish holiday of Sigd at the Armon Hanatziv Promenade overlooking Jerusalem, November 23, 2022

Knesset committee addresses aliyah issues as Israel anticipates postwar immigration surge

“Despite the war, we have seen a blessed aliyah to Israel precisely during this difficult period,” Minister Ofir Sofer said.

NOVEMBER 17, 2025ByKESHET NEEV
Aliyah and Integration Minister Ofir Sofer during a special session of the Knesset’s Aliyah and Immigration Committee on Monday.

Jewish families in Ethiopia have been forgotten by Israel, they must be brought home - opinion

The roughly 7,000 Ethiopian Jews still waiting to come have close relatives in Israel. They have studied Judaism, embraced modern life, and are ready for integration.

SEPTEMBER 14, 2025BySHMUEL LEGESSE
‘WE WILL never forget leaders like Israel’s ambassador to Ethiopia, Abraham Negussie, who has humbly worked to bring our brothers and sisters home,’ says the writer.

Police not doing enough to find Haymanot Kasau, family tells Knesset panel

Haymanot Kasau’s family accused police of neglect nearly two years after she disappeared, telling MKs her case would be treated differently if she weren’t Ethiopian.

SEPTEMBER 10, 2025ByKESHET NEEV
Nine-year-old Haymanot Kasau. The police released the image on February 26, 2024.

‘Beyond Herzl’: Naftali Aklum on Ethiopian Jewish heritage, Zionism, and Israel’s future

WATCH: JPost’s Corinne Baum in conversation with Naftali Aklum on history, identity, and the place of Ethiopian Jews in shaping Zionism.

SEPTEMBER 9, 2025ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Corinne Baum speaks to Naftali Aklum

Letter to Netanyahu: We love you but listen - let Ethiopian Jews in - opinion

Now is the time to create a unified, strategic diplomatic team drawing from all political parties and all communities in Israel.

AUGUST 13, 2025BySHMUEL LEGESSE
‘WE LOVE YOU, Mr. Netanyahu, even when our families still suffer in Ethiopia because your government refuses to bring them home under the Law of Return,’ says the writer.

Jews are not a color; we are a global people - opinion

Judaism is a family rooted in faith, strengthened by diversity, and united in a covenant that binds us across cultures, languages, and generations.

AUGUST 7, 2025BySHMUEL LEGESSE
ETHIOPIAN JEWS take part in a prayer of the Sigd holiday in Jerusalem last November. The God of Israel sees the heart, not the color of one’s skin, the writer affirms.

The time for talking is over: Ethiopian Israelis need family reunification now - opinion

According to official estimates, over 7,000 people of Ethiopian Jewish descent remain in Ethiopia, most living in designated waiting areas in Gondar and Addis Ababa.

JULY 30, 2025BySHMUEL LEGESSE
ETHIOPIAN ISRAELIS gather in Jerusalem earlier this week, calling for immediate government action to expedite the aliyah of family members still stranded in Ethiopia.

We are Black Zionists: Why are our sacrifices ignored? - opinion

Ethiopian Israelis are proud citizens of the state and serve in the army but don't receive much attention in the media.

JULY 23, 2025BySHMUEL LEGESSE
‘OUR COMMUNITY has been connected to the Land of Israel for millennia,’ says the writer.

As thousands stay away, Ethiopian Israelis pay a heavy price in Gaza war - opinion

Israelis of Ethiopian origin enlist in higher numbers than the national average, despite facing institutional neglect, racism, and economic hardship.

JULY 11, 2025ByYAAKOV KATZ
Deep grief at the funeral of Sgt. Shahar Manoav at the Ashkelon Military Cemetery last month: He served in a combat engineering unit in Gaza, and to his commanders, he was dependable, brave, and inspiring.

‘It’s amazing to see what education can do’

The Morris and Rosalind Goodman Family Foundation has opened new vistas for Israeli students of Ethiopian descent at the Hebrew University.

JULY 9, 2025ByALAN ROSENBAUM
FROM L) Gideon Pollack, Jonathan Goodman, Finkelstein, and Jeff Hart at a Hebrew University event. The four were involved in fundraising for the Walk in their Shoes campaign.