Operation Promise: A Status Report

Operation Promise was launched in June 2005 to raise $160 million to care for hundreds of thousands of needy elderly and build and support the next generation of Jewish life in the Former Soviet Union; and bring the Ethiopian Jewish community home to Israel and help them to take their rightful place in Israeli society.

The Impact of Israel’s War with Hezbollah and the Israel Emergency Campaign

The onset of the war and the launch of the Israel Emergency Campaign resulted in the temporary suspension of Operation Promise campaign efforts. Of course, the war did not diminish the needs in the FSU or within the Ethiopian community. Today, in most communities, focus has returned to the continuing work needed to meet our goals for funding the Operation Promise programs.

UJC continues to be committed to the goals of Operation Promise, and expects the remainder of the funds to be raised by June 30, 2009. As of the start of the war  in July of 2006, Operation Promise had received pledges of about $70M. 

Operation Promise Goals

The goal of Operation Promise is to:

• Complete the immigration of the Falas Mura from Ethiopia to Israel ($63M)
• Enhance education programs for Ethiopian community in Israel. ($37M) 
• Provide resources necessary to remedy the two-tier social welfare system for the elderly ($30M) and to enhance critical funding needed for Jewish identity programs for the next generation in the Former Soviet Union. ($30M)

Program Status 

• Falas Mura - Programs were to be triggered by the implementation of the Government of Israel’s decision of January 2005 to double the rate of immigration from Ethiopia and to complete the list of eligible members of the Falas Mura community.  This decision has, to date, not been implemented, resulting in the suspended status of the bulk of the programs planned for this segment of the campaign.  UJC and the Federations of North American are providing roughly $1M per year in support of current programs in Ethiopia through the JDC.
• All Other Programs - Education programs in Israel for the Ethiopian community and all programs in the FSU are being implemented in proportion to the funds received and disbursed to date.