Ethiopia to Israel: 2,000 miles and 2,000 years in a single night

For Alan Scharfstein and Ken Saibel, last month’s trip to Ethiopia—part of a national UJA mission—was a time to experience what it’s like for Jews of an ancient civilization to travel 2,000 miles and 2,000 years in a single night. The two, UJA NNJ Campaign chair and assistant executive vice-president respectively, traveled with a group of 90 Ethiopian olim (immigrants) making Aliyah to Israel.

"Some of these people waited many years to make Aliyah," said Saibel. "They traveled from far-off villages to a transit camp in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital, to prepare for departure and lived in huts in deplorable conditions. But they were willing to endure so they could go to Israel, their homeland."

"Certainly this was a fact-finding trip," said Scharfstein. "But it was so much more. We were witness to how contributions made to UJA NNJ make a life-altering difference in people’s lives. We saw how New Jersey dollars helped these Ethiopian olim travel those 2,000 miles and 2,000 years in a single night."