In 1984 and 1991, UJA-Federation of New York supported two historic efforts to rescue Ethiopian Jews from civil war, famine, and religious persecution. Today, 115,000 Ethiopian Jews live in Israel. They’re free to practice their religion, and they’re free to compete in a world with limitless opportunities. However, until recently, economic success wasn’t within their reach.

Overcoming Cultural Barriers

Ethiopian children were entering first grade with a serious disadvantage. Unlike most immigrant Israelis, they did not attend preschool — and their parents could not read in any language. Cultural and language barriers prevented parents and teachers from communicating with each other. And as much as Ethiopian parents wanted their children to succeed, they weren’t equipped to help them.

In 2001, UJA-Federation joined an effort that would offer each new generation of Ethiopian Israelis the academic enrichment they needed to realize their potential. For the first time, they had a real chance of achieving every immigrant’s dream.

Birth to Bagrut: 18 Years of Support

Birth to Bagrut started in Rehovot when UJA-Federation began supporting an initiative of one of its beneficiary agencies, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC). JDC reinvented Head Start, creating an Israeli version in 10 towns that originally offered services to children immediately after birth, through age 6. Envisioning a more ambitious effort, UJA-Federation worked with JDC to expand its initial model. Today, the program offers academic support for Ethiopian children in Rehovot and 13 other Israeli cities, from birth through high school graduation.

Now, Ethiopian-Israeli kids are getting the kind of well-rounded education all kids dream of: sports, music, and dance at local community centers; programs for gifted students at the prestigious Weizmann Institute of Science; and much more. With the support of UJA-Federation, JDC continues to work with the Ethiopian community in Rehovot and with international Jewish organizations to ensure the program remains relevant and effective.

Tangible Results From the 2008 Academic Year

In Rehovot, 2,495 children participated in Birth to Bagrut, representing 98 percent of the town’s Ethiopian children.

• 727 kids from birth to age 6 overcame developmental and family challenges — and were ready for the next step: child care, preschool, and kindergarten.

• 907 kids from first to sixth grade advanced academically, taking their first steps toward competing successfully with their Israeli peers.

• 475 junior high school students benefited, and the graduating class reversed disturbing dropout trends: 93 percent entered high school.

• 386 high school students participated in Birth to Bagrut. Fifty percent of the 12th-graders passed the bagrut, matriculation exams, helping to close the gap between Ethiopian kids and their Israeli peers.

• 1,086 Ethiopian parents participated in literacy and other support programs.