January, 2005

There are approximately 100,000 Ethiopian immigrants living in Israel today. Among them, some 70% of the adults are illiterate in Hebrew. In addition, the community suffers from a high unemployment rate — approximately 53% for men and 65% among women. Ethiopian-Israelis who do work are often employed in low-paying, menial jobs, working long hours. Low levels of Hebrew proficiency make it almost impossible for them to integrate and advance in the workplace.

The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), one of the organizations which receives funding from the Jewish Community Federation's annual campaign, has developed an innovative response to this challenge with its Avodah B'Ivrit program. The program offers Hebrew language enrichment classes to Ethiopian-Israelis in the workplace, ensuring that the participants receive the help they need while still being able to work. Avodah B'Ivrit is designed to suit the needs of working immigrants, ensures the curriculum focuses on material relevant to their jobs and provides an accessible study framework by offering classes in the workplace. The program equips participants with the language skills they need to develop professionally and advance within the workplace.

Avodah B'Ivrit recently opened a program at the Elite Chocolate Factory in Upper Nazereth, funded in partnership with the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, where the participants attend classes twice weekly for two hours each. Today 37 Ethiopian adults are on the road to a brighter future through participation in this course.