The Beta Israel communities left the land they knew, their property, and set out on an exhausting journey, clinging to the longing that had passed from generation to generation: Jerusalem. They bore not only their longing for Zion, but also paid a heavy price for it.
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In his book The Journey is not Over, Danny Adeno Abebe shares the heartbreaking story of one of the women from the community who made aliyah: "I had a baby girl who was born in Ethiopia a few months before we started on the journey. She had beautiful eyes and a gentle face. She made it through the journey by foot to Sudan safely. In the camp she got a little sick, but got better. I prayed that we would make it through the difficult days. Then, one day, it was our turn to make aliyah. We were so happy. I dressed the baby in a few layers of clothes and I put her on my back, like we do in Ethiopia. But when I got off the plane, my back was cold. A few minutes later, they told me the most awful news a mother could hear: my baby had died. I did all I could to bring her here safely, and at the moment that was supposed to be the happiest one in my life, I was carrying a dead body on my back."
Not everyone made it home, not everyone survived the exhausting march. We carry their memory in our hearts, forever. Jerusalem carries their memory in her heart. Their love for Jerusalem burns as an eternal flame that reaches the heavens. A column of fire, that lights the way for the Jewish people.
The Ethiopian community taught us all the meaning of devotion, love of Jerusalem, determination, and faith that they would arrive. Thousands of Jews are still waiting to make aliyah from Ethiopia, and the government, even in this difficult time, needs to find a way of arranging it. Along with the honest desire to bring all our Jewish Ethiopian brothers and sisters to Israel, we all have an obligation to fight discrimination of any type. We as a society have an obligation to do everything to tackle racism among ourselves and root it out. Immigrants from Ethiopia have experienced discrimination from both the establishment and society as a whole, and are the subject of negative stereotypes. At the Office of the President, we are calling on young Ethiopian Israelis to appeal for clemency (and the requests will be considered favorably) as an additional step in this struggle.
We have a long way to go to fully integrate all the populations in Israel into society. This is a national mission, and throughout my term as presidents I have been inspired by my meetings with young Ethiopian Israelis, whose eyes burn with determination to break the "glass ceiling" and serve as examples for their community. At the Sigd ceremony, we call for introspection. This year, more than ever, Israeli society and the state need to look at themselves. For us to grow stronger together, so we can confront the present, and prepare for what is to come.
From Jerusalem, from Zion,
President Reuven Rivlin.
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