In the past year, Jews have grappled with ideas around race, diversity and inclusion like never before. The Bush Report on racial inclusivity in the Jewish community, published by the Board of Deputies in April 2021, highlighted the false assumption that all Jews are essentially white and European. Having heard from voices in the UK about their experiences of black Jewish life, we now widen the frame for rare insights into Jewish experience within African communities.

In 1991 Israel launched operation Solomon and rescued over 14,000 Ethiopian Jews from the civil war then raging in Ethiopia. In the following years they supported a steady emigration and brought most of the remaining Beta Israel to Israel. Most, but not all. There is still a sizeable Jewish community which remains in the country to this day, who are a persecuted minority within the country.

In this session, we will hear from Avraham Neguise, who was born in Gondar, Ethiopia and emigrated to Israel in 1985. A political activist and former Member of Knesset, Neguise campaigns for the return to Israel of the remnant left in Ethiopia, as well as against the discrimination many Ethiopian Israelis face upon arrival.

You can book your place via our partners at Jewish Renaissance.

Full course details:

27th June: The Ethiopian Jews Left Behind

4th July: Bal Ej - The Secret Jews of Ethiopia

11th July: The Lemba in Southern Africa

18th July: The Hebrew Igbo of Nigeria

25th July: The Abayudaya of Ethiopia