Ethiopian Jews

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 Sigd celebrations, November 2025
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
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

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

|BySHMUEL LEGESSE
Aliyah and Integration Minister Ofir Sofer during a special session of the Knesset’s Aliyah and Immigration Committee on Monday.

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.

|ByKESHET NEEV

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.

Oldest known 15th-Century Orit Books of Ethiopian Jewry uncovered by TAU researchers

These sacred texts, written in Ge'ez, a language known only to the Kessim (Ethiopian Jewish priests), hold significant cultural and historical importance.

JULY 8, 2025ByJOANIE MARGULIES
The 15th-century sacred books of Ethiopian Jewry from the Faitlovitch Collection at the Sourasky Central Library, TAU.

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

In the fourth episode of the 2025 season of ‘The Philanthropists,’ Maxyne Finkelstein, President of the Morris & Rosalind Goodman Family Foundation, speaks to Israeli writer and director Maor Zaguri.

JULY 6, 2025ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF, IN COLLABORATION WITH CANADIAN FRIENDS OF HEBREW UNIVERSITY
Maxyne Finkelstein President of the Morris and Rosalind Goodman Family Foundation