Curriculum Guide - Volume 8

Curriculum Guide - Volume 8
• 8.1: Students Advocating for Israel
• 8.2: The African Hebrews in Israel
• 8.3: American Football - Alive in Israel
© 2011 Israel Up Close. All rights reserved.
Students Advocating for Israel: Volume 8.1
Yavneh Olami organizes students dedicated to
promoting aliyah and combating anti-Israel
propaganda on college campuses throughout the
United States. As aliyah ambassadors, they spread the
word that Israel is a viable and even desirable country
to be considered when making future travel and life
plans. These students coordinate many activities
designed to enhance the public image of the State of
Israel and bring it closer to the Jewish student’s heart.
Running time: 4:20 minutes.
Rationale
This lesson provides an opportunity for participants to learn about Yavneh Olami, a
student initiative whose mission is to inspire, educate and empower Jewish college
students around the world, and to strengthen their connection to Israel and the Jewish
people.
Objectives
The participant will
• Learn how a small group of students, with passion and initiative, created a
worldwide movement that now reaches thousands
• Add to his/her Hebrew language lexicon, by learning the meaning of words used
in this film such as Yavneh Olami, aliyah and Nefesh b’Nefesh.
Materials/Handouts
• Yavneh Olami
• Nefesh b’Nefesh
• All About Aliyah
Preparing the class to view the story
Anthropologist Margaret Mead wrote, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,
committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
We’re about to meet a small group of thoughtful, committed Jewish college students
who are doing their part to change the world. Let’s take a look.
View the DVD
Discussion/Activity (with sample answers in italics):
In this film, we heard references to “aliyah.” What is aliyah? What does it mean?
•
•
Relocating to Israel – moving to Israel to set down roots in life and work
Literal translation is “going up” or “ascent”
According to Jewish tradition, going to the Land of Israel is an ascent, both
geographically and spiritually. Geographically: In ancient times, anyone journeying to
1
Eretz Israel from Egypt, Babylonia or the Mediterranean basin climbed to a higher
altitude. Visiting Jerusalem, situated 2,700 feet above sea level, was also an "ascent."
Spiritually, many believe the act of resettling in Israel is indicative of fulfilling a
commandment in the Torah, “ascending” in your development as a righteous person.
You will learn more about aliyah in your take-home handouts.
Everything in Hebrew means something, and the name of this student organization also
has meaning. Does anyone know what Yavneh means? What about Olami? [If
nobody can translate the Hebrew, provide the answer] Yavneh is from the Hebrew
infinitive LIVNOT, which means “to build”. Yavneh is future tense and means “He will
build.” Olam in Hebrew means “world” and “Olami” means “worldwide.” So the name
of this organization, Yavneh Olami, speaks to its mission to build something worldwide.
What is Yavneh Olami building?
•
•
•
•
•
Building student leaders who are knowledgeable about Israel
Building connections between Jewish college students and Israel; between the
students and the Jewish people worldwide
Building support for Israel
Building interest in Israel as a viable place to live and work
Building defenses against anti-Jewish or anti-Israel propaganda
Let’s continue with our Hebrew lesson. What about “Nefesh” which is part of the
organization named Nefesh b’Nefesh? What is this word all about, and how does it
relate to the work done by this organization?
•
•
•
Nefesh means soul or spirit, and sometimes refers to a person or a life, in the
spiritual sense
Nefesh b’Nefesh means soul to soul
It happens one person at a time
And what message does Yavneh Olami have for college students?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Come and experience Israel for yourself
You will learn Israel is a normal country with science, business, industry, culture,
places to really have a life
Every Jew should visit Israel at least once.
Some – but not all -- will be inspired to make Israel their permanent home
Even if you don’t choose aliyah, you will come back more knowledgeable and
educated about Israel, and inspired to share that with others
The more you know about Israel, the more you can combat anti-Israel
propaganda on campus, from a position of strength
You can be a leader on your college campus, sharing the positive, cultural
aspects of Israel with other students – Jewish or people of other traditions
There are numerous study options in Israel, and Israel is supportive of students
who choose to “make aliyah.”
2
Closing
At the conclusion of this film, we learned that the efforts of Yavneh Olami and Nefesh
b’Nefesh were focused on achieving a goal of 3,000 immigrants to Israel in 2005.
Nefesh b’Nefesh chartered its first flight only in the summer of 2002. By the end of 2006,
Israel had welcomed its 10,000th immigrant through this amazing partnership.
Thousands more college students have since returned from Yavneh Olami summer
seminars, gap year programs and winter break missions to become empowered,
knowledgeable leaders on their campuses.
I’d call that a success, wouldn’t you?
3
Who We Are:
Yavneh Olami is a Jewish international student organization
that identifies with religious Zionism. Our goals are to inspire,
educate and empower Jewish college students all around
the world and to strengthen their connection to Israel and the
Jewish people. College students face all types of challenges
on campus: assimilation, Anti-Semitism/anti-Israel sentiment
and lack of opportunity to connect with Israel on an
individual level. That's where we come in. Yavneh Olami
creates and runs programs, so that you, the students can
(re)connect with Israel and the Jewish people.
What We Do:
Yavneh Olami runs high-quality programs that focus on hasbara (pro-Israel advocacy),
Israel, aliyah and leadership. We've recently begun programming for students spending a
gap-year in Israel, with the hopes that they will continue on to their respective college
campuses as leaders.
What We See:
Yavneh Olami's vision is clear: to establish an international community of active Jewish and
Israel-minded students who have a firm commitment and a deep sense of responsibility to
Israel and the Jewish People. Yavneh Olami's main offices are in Jerusalem, with an
expanding volunteer network all over the world. Our young and energetic staff work
together with students to create programs that are geared to the needs and interests of
college students.
Our Programs at a Glance:
• The Summer Internship Program enables students and
recent graduates to intern in their fields of interest in
Israel within a social and educational environment.
• The Summer BMY (Beit Midrash Yerushalayim), in
partnership with World Mizrachi’s Young Leadership
Division, offers you a summer vacation in Jerusalem
that combines study days with social activities and
experiential learning.
• The Winter Israel Mission is a 10-day experience over
winter break during which you will learn more about the
Israel-Arab conflict in depth.
• Interested in making aliyah? Our Big Brother/Sister
Program assigns you a fellow student who has already
gone through the process and is happy to help with
questions, advice or just listening to your concerns.
Learn More: visit us at www.yavneholami.org
4
Nefesh B’Nefesh is a Jerusalem-based non profit
organization that promotes, encourages and
facilitates aliyah (immigration to Israel) from the USA,
Canada and the United Kingdom. NBN aims to
remove or minimize the financial, professional,
logistical and social obstacles faced by potential olim
(new immigrants). Nefesh B'Nefesh works in close
cooperation with the Jewish Agency, the
Government of Israel and major Jewish organizations,
offering resources such as financial aid, employment
guidance and networking, assistance navigating the
Israeli system, social guidance and counseling.
History
Nefesh B'Nefesh was conceived by Rabbi Yehoshua Fass after a family member was killed in a terrorist
attack in Israel. Realizing there were many people who wanted to immigrate to Israel but were
concerned about obstacles, Rabbi Fass and Florida businessman/ philanthropist Tony Gelbart decided
to create an organization to make it easier for people to make aliyah. The organization offered its first
chartered aliyah flight in the summer of 2002, from North America. By May 2006, in response to
numerous requests from British Jews, NBN expanded its services to include the United Kingdom.
Milestones
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
December 2006: NBN brings its 10,000th new immigrant to Israel
on its 23rd aliyah flight.
December 2007: NBN welcomes its 30th flight to Israel.
January 2008: NBN begins to offer fellowship grants for
physicians making aliyah.
Summer 2008: NBN brings its 16,000th new immigrant to Israel.
August 2008: The Jewish Agency for Israel partners with NBN to
create a “one stop aliyah shop” designed to make it easier for
new immigrants. In the past, potential immigrants had to open
an aliyah file with the Jewish Agency and apply separately
with Nefesh B’Nefesh for services. This new partnership
streamlines the process.
September 2008: The Israeli government officially recognizes
NBN, giving the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption authority to
permanently fund 1/3 of NBN’s annual budget.
December 2010: NBN assists its 25,000th new immigrant.
Summer 2011: NBN has brought, to date, over 30,000 new
immigrants to Israel from North America and the United
Kingdom.
Learn More: Visit us at www.nbn.org.il
5
All About
Aliyah is the immigration of Jews to the Land of Israel (Eretz Israel). It is a basic tenet of Zionist ideology.
The return to Eretz Israel has been a Jewish aspiration since the Babylonian exile. Large scale
immigration to Eretz Israel and later Israel began in 1882.
Aliyah is a Hebrew word that means "ascent," or "going up." According to Jewish tradition, moving to
the Land of Israel is an ascent, both geographically and spiritually. In ancient times, the journey to
Eretz Israel from Egypt, Babylonia or the Mediterranean basin (where many Jews lived in early rabbinic
times) involved climbed to a higher altitude. Visiting Jerusalem, situated 2,700 feet above sea level,
was also an ascent. Aliyah is an important Jewish cultural concept and a fundamental component
of Zionism. It is enshrined in Israel's Law of Return. Someone who "makes aliyah" is called an oleh (male
singular) or olah (female singular); the plural for both is olim. Many regard aliyah as the fulfillment of
God's biblical promise to the descendants of the Hebrew patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and
according to some interpretations of the bible, is one of the 613 commandments.
The term aliyah includes both voluntary immigration for ideological, emotional, or practical reasons as
well as the mass flight of persecuted populations of Jews. The vast majority of Israeli Jews today trace
their family's recent roots to outside of the country. While many have actively chosen to settle in Israel
rather than some other country, many had little or no choice about leaving their previous home
countries. While Israel is commonly recognized as "a country of immigrants", it is also, in large
measure, a country of refugees.
Return to the Land of Israel is a recurring theme in Jewish prayers recited every day, three times a day,
and holiday services on Passover and Yom Kippur traditionally conclude with the words "Next year in
Jerusalem." In all historical periods during which return to the Land of Israel was possible, Jewish
groups and individuals have returned to the Jewish homeland.
Aliyah: A Timeline
1800-1300 BCE: The Torah relates that the patriarch Abraham came to the Land of Canaan with his
family and followers. His grandson, Jacob, went down to Egypt with his family. After several centuries
in Egypt, Jacob and the Israelites went back to Canaan under Moses and Joshua.
538-459 BCE: A few decades after the fall of the Kingdom of Judah and the Babylonian exile of the
Jewish people, approximately 50,000 Jews returned to Zion. The priestly scribe Ezra led the Jewish
exiles living in Babylon to their home city of Jerusalem. Others returned throughout the era of the
Second Temple.
200–500 CE: The two hubs of rabbinic learning were Babylonia and the Land of Israel. Throughout this
period, many Babylonian Jews immigrated to the Land of Israel and left their mark on life there, as
rabbis and leaders.
900-1100 CE: Leaders of the Karaite Jewish community, mostly living under Persian rule, urged their
followers to settle in Eretz Israel. There is also abundant evidence of pilgrimages to Jerusalem by Jews
from various countries, mainly around the time of the Sukkot holiday.
6
1200-1882: The number of Jews returning to the Land of Israel rose significantly between the 13th and
19th centuries, mainly due to a general decline in the status of Jews across Europe and an increase in
religious persecution. The expulsion of Jews from England (1290), France (1391), Austria (1421) and
Spain (1492) were seen by many as a sign of approaching redemption.
1882-1903: The First Aliyah: approximately 35,000 Jews immigrated from the Russian Empire with a
smaller number arriving from Yemen. Many established agricultural communities. Among the towns
they established were Rishon LeZion, Rosh Pina, and Zikhron Ya'akov.
1904-1914: The Second Aliyah: 40,000 Jews immigrated mainly from Russia following pogroms and
outbreaks of anti-Semitism. This group, greatly influenced by socialist ideals, established the first
kibbutz, Degania, in 1909 and formed self-defense organizations to counter increasing Arab hostility
and to help Jews to protect their communities. The Ahuzat Bayit suburb of Jaffa, established at this
time, grew into the city of Tel Aviv. Some underpinnings of an independent nation-state arose: the
Hebrew language was revived; Hebrew newspapers and literature were published; political parties
were established. The First World War effectively ended the period of the Second Aliyah.
1919-1923: The Third Aliyah: Another 40,000 Jews,
mainly from the Russian Empire, arrived in the wake of
World War I, the British conquest of Palestine,
establishment of the Mandate, and the Balfour
Declaration. Many were pioneers, known as halutzim,
trained in agriculture and capable of establishing self
sustaining economies. In spite of immigration quotas
established by the British administration, the
population of Jews reached 90,000 by the end of this
period. Additional national institutions arose including
a labor federation and an elected assembly.
1924-1929: The Fourth Aliyah: 82,000 Jews arrived, many as a result of anti-Semitism in Poland and
Hungary. The immigration quotas of the United States kept Jews out. This group contained many
middle class families who moved to growing towns, establishing small businesses and light industry. Of
these approximately 23,000 subsequently left the country.
1929-1940: The Fifth Aliyah: With the rise of Nazism in Germany, a new wave of 250,000 immigrants
arrived; the majority of these, 174,000, arrived between 1933 and 1936, after which increasing
restrictions on immigration by the British made immigration clandestine and illegal. The Fifth Aliyah
was again driven mostly from Eastern Europe as well Germany. Professionals -- doctors, lawyers and
professors – were among this group. Refugee artists introduced the Bauhaus style of architecture, and
founded the Palestine Philharmonic Orchestra which became the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in
1948. With the completion of the port at Haifa and its oil refineries, significant industry was added to
the predominantly agricultural economy. The Jewish population reached 450,000 by 1940.
At the same time, tensions between Arabs and Jews grew during this period, leading to a series of
Arab riots against the Jews that left many dead. In response to the ever increasing tension between
the Arabic and Jewish communities married with the various commitments the British faced at the
dawn of World War II, the British issued the White Paper of 1939, which severely restricted Jewish
immigration to 75,000 people for five years. This served to create a relatively peaceful eight years in
Palestine while, tragically, the Holocaust unfolded in Europe.
1936-1948: During the period of illegal immigration, known as Aliyah Bet, immigration was done mainly
by sea, and to a lesser extent overland through Iraq and Syria. During World War II and the years that
followed until independence, Aliyah Bet became the main form of Jewish immigration to Palestine.
Despite British efforts to curb the illegal immigration, during the 14 years of its operation, 110,000 Jews
7
immigrated to Palestine. In 1945, reports of the Holocaust with its 6 million Jewish dead, caused many
Jews in Palestine to turn openly against the British Mandate, and illegal immigration escalated rapidly
as many Holocaust survivors joined the Aliyah.
1948-1950: Kibbutz Galuyot (Ingathering of Exiles): The
early years of Israeli statehood saw the immigration of
over half a million Jews, many fleeing renewed
persecution in Eastern Europe and increasingly hostile
Arab countries.
1948-1973: Aliyah from the Middle East: Around 900,000
Jews from Arab lands left, fled, or were expelled from
various Arab nations. In the course of Operation Magic
Carpet (1949–1950), nearly the entire community of
Yemenite Jews (49,000) immigrated to Israel. In 1951,
some 114,000 Jews came to Israel from Iraq. Huge
numbers of Jewish refugees were temporarily settled in tent cities called ma'abarot.
1950s: The Soviet regime would not permit mass emigration, and instituted a formal petition process
under “family reunification” which was complicated and mired in hardships. Because of these
hardships, Israel set up a group known as “Lishkat HaKesher” (trans: to keep the connection) to
maintain contact with and promote aliyah to Jews behind the Iron Curtain.
1960-70: The USSR broke off diplomatic relations with Israel, allowed anti-Zionist propaganda to flourish
in the state-controlled media, and Soviet Jews were subject to harsh discrimination. Only 4,000 Jews
were allowed to leave during this decade.
1970-80: Some 250,000 Jews were allowed to leave the USSR, many of them choosing to immigrate to
the United States, while some chose to immigrate to Israel. In 1979, over 30,000 Iranian Jews
immigrated to Israel following the Islamic Revolution; the remainder settled in the United States.
1985-86: Operation Moses: A massive airlift brought Ethiopian Jews to Israel, from refugee camps in
Sudan, over a period of six weeks.
1991: Operation Solomon: Another massive airlift brought 14,325 Jews from Ethiopia to Israel in 34
aircraft in a single day.
1991-on: Since the dissolution of the USSR, over 1 million former Soviet Jews immigrated to Israel.
1999-2003: The political and economic crisis in Argentina decimated the country's middle class,
affecting most of Argentina's estimated 200,000 Jews. Some chose to start over in Israel, where they
saw opportunity. Over 500 Jews also made aliyah from Uruguay.
2001-2005: With the start of the Second Intifada in Israel, anti-Semitic incidents became more frequent
in France. 11,148 Jews made aliyah to Israel from France.
2002: Nefesh B’Nefesh was established, to encourage aliyah from North America and the United
Kingdom. While there had been a steady flow of olim from North America since Israel’s establishment
in 1948, and record numbers arrived in the late 1960s after the Six-Day War and in the 1970s, NBN put
aliyah on the priority list for Americans and Canadians by making the process easier. By 2009, aliyah
from North America was at its highest level in 36 years.
2010: Over 16,000 new immigrants arrived in Israel, 14% more than in 2009.
8
‫מדינת ישראל‬
STATE OF ISRAEL
PRESS RELEASE
www.cbs.gov.il
info@cbs.gov.il
Fax: 02-6521340
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Jerusalem
February 24, 2011
045/2011
Immigration to Israel: 2010
16,633 new immigrants1 arrived in Israel in 2010, 14% more than in 2009
The greatest number of immigrants arrived from Russia and the United States

Since the establishment of the State of Israel, more than 3.075 million new immigrants have
arrived in Israel, about 40% of them since 1990.

2010 saw the highest rate of immigration in the past three years – 2.2 immigrants per 1,000
residents.

42% of the immigrants of 2010 arrived from the Former Soviet Union, mainly from Russia
and Ukraine, 15% came from the United States, and 10% came from Ethiopia.
In 2010, 16,633 new immigrants arrived in Israel – 14% more than in 2009 (14,572 immigrants).
Although there was an increase in the number of immigrants, the scope of immigration is still on a relatively
low level, a trend which has continued since the end of the wave of mass immigration from the former
USSR. The current level resembles the level of the 80's – a period of low immigration in which a range of
between 9,000 to 24,000 immigrants arrived per year.
In 2010, the rate of immigration per 1,000 residents in the average population2 was 2.2 immigrants; it was
relatively lower than the average rate of immigration per year in the 80's (3.8 immigrants). In the period of
mass immigration during 1990 – 2001 the average rate of immigration stood at 17 immigrants per 1,000
residents (Diagram 1, Table 1).
Note: Tables A and B are found within the Press Release itself, whereas Tables 1-6 are attached as an
Appendix to the end of the Press Release, and are available in both Word and Excel format.
1
This includes immigrants, potential immigrants, and tourists who changed their status to immigrants or potential
immigrants; it does not include returning citizens. The 2010 data were calculated using temporary population data for
that year.
2
The rate is calculated according to the number of immigrants in a specific year, divided by the average population in
that same year, multiplied by a thousand.
Written by Ayelet Cohen-Castro, Demographics Sector, International Immigration and Emigration
For explanations and clarifications regarding the contents of this Press Release,
Please contact the Press Relations Unit, at 02-652 7845
9
Diagram 1: Immigrants by year of immigration and rate per 1,000 in population, 1980-2010
1980-2010 ,‫ באוכלוסייה‬1,000 -‫ לפי ש נת עלייה ו שיעור ל‬,‫עולים‬
50
45
40
35
‫שיעור‬
30
25
20
15
10
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998
1997
1996
‫ש נה‬
1995
1994
1993
1992
1991
1990
1989
1988
1987
1986
1985
1984
1983
1982
1981
0
1980
5
Immigrant's Continent of Origin (Table No. 2)
In 2010, the largest number of immigrants arrived from the European continent (9,126 immigrants),
followed by the American and the Oceania continents (4,154), the African continent (1,937), and the Asian
continent (1,415). In this year there was an increase, compared to 2009, in the number of immigrants who
arrived from all the continents except for Asia. The greatest increase in the number of immigrants was from
the African continent (from 561 in 2009 to 1,937 in 2010, an increase of 245%), followed by the European
continent (an increase of 7%) and the American and the Oceania continents (an increase of 6%). However,
the number of immigrants from the Asian continent in 2010 was 7% less than 2009.
Last Country of Residence (Table No. 2)
In 2010, the largest number of immigrants arrived from the Russian Federation (hereinafter: Russia),
followed by the United States, France, Ukraine, and Ethiopia. In these five countries there was an increase
in the number of immigrants compared to 2009. Within this group, the greatest increases were among the
immigrants of Ethiopia and France. The increase in the number of immigrants from Ethiopia due to the
government's decision that in the course of the coming years the process of bringing the Falash Mura to
Israel would come to a close, in accordance with the criteria that were established.
During 2010 there was an increase in the number of immigrants that arrived from the countries of the
former USSR compared to the previous year. In 2010, 6,999 immigrants arrived from the former USSR
countries, and they comprised 42% of the immigrants (compared to 47% in 2009, when 6,819 immigrants
arrived from there). Of these, the largest number of immigrants arrived from Russia and Ukraine: The two
of them together accounted for 74% of the total immigrants from the former USSR countries.
The Age Structure of the Immigrants (Table No. 3, Table A)
The immigrants who arrived in 2010 were somewhat younger compared to the previous year. One of the
main reasons for this was the increase in the number of immigrants from Ethiopia – an immigration that
Immigration to Israel: 2010 24/02/2011
2
10
was characterized by a relatively large percentage of children. The proportion of those aged 0-14 in the
immigrant total of 2010 was about 20%, a somewhat greater figure compared to the previous year. The
proportion of those aged 15-64 among the immigrants in 2010 was about 69% (compared to 70% in 2009).
Those aged 65 and over remained 11% in 2010, as they were the previous year. At the same time, the
immigrants' median age declined as well to 29.3 (the median age is defined as the age that half the
immigrants were younger than), compared to 29.8 in 2009.
The distribution of ages among the immigrants varies according to the continent of origin. The immigrants
from Europe were older and their median age was 33.2; they were followed by the immigrants from Asia,
America and Oceania, and the youngest were the immigrants from Africa with the lowest median age.
Table A. Median Age of the Immigrants by Last Continent of Residence
Continent
Median Age
29.3
31.4
33.2
26.7
19.6
Total
Asia
Europe
America and Oceania
Africa
Men/Women Ratio and Marital Status (Table No. 6, Table B)
As in the past, in 2010 the majority of the immigrants were women (52%) – 919 men per 1000 women. The
median age of women was somewhat higher than that of men: 29.4 versus 29.1, respectively. The
percentage of immigrant men aged 15 and over who were never married (36%) was higher than the
percentage of never married women aged 15 and over (32%). Additionally, the percentage of married men
(55%) was higher than that of married women (49%). However, the percentage of divorced women (10%)
who immigrated in 2010 was higher than the percentage of divorced men (6%), and similarly the
percentage of widowed women (9%) was higher than the percentage of widowers (2%). About 39% of the
women aged 65 and over were widows compared to 13% of the men in that age group who were
widowers. At the same time, the percentage of married man in that age group was 74% versus 43% of the
women.
Table B: Marital Status of Immigrants aged 15 and over, 2010
Gender
Marital status
Total*
Never
Married
married
Absolute numbers
Total
13,348
4,526
6,948
Men
6,309
2,298
3,471
Women
7,039
2,228
3,477
Percentages
Total
100.0
33.9
52.1
Men
100.0
36.4
55.0
Women
100.0
31.7
49.4
* Including those whose marital status was not known
Immigration to Israel: 2010 24/02/2011
3
Divorced
Widowed
1,128
398
730
738
138
600
8.5
6.3
10.4
5.5
2.2
8.5
11
First Place of Settling in Israel (Tables Nos. 4 & 5)
In 2010, the largest number of immigrants settled in the Jerusalem District. There is a moderately rising
trend in the percentage of those who settle in the Jerusalem District (from 11% of the total immigrants in
2002 up to somewhat more than 20% in 2010).
About 19% of the immigrants settled in the Central District; about 18% of the immigrants settled in the
Southern District; somewhat more than 14% in the Northern District; in the Tel Aviv District – 13%, in the
Haifa District – 12%, and about 4% of the total immigrants settled in Judea and Samaria. 52% of the
immigrants who arrived in 2010 chose to settle in those districts known as the "center" (Jerusalem, Tel
Aviv, and the Central Districts).
The percentage of the immigrants who settled in the Jerusalem District (20%) rose about 1% compared to
the previous year. In the Northern District there was an increase of about 2% in the first place of settling
compared to the previous year, chiefly because of the entry of the immigrants from Ethiopia (mainly in
Zefat), from Russia (mainly in Akko and Karmi'el), and from the United States, in larger amounts than the
previous year. There was a decline of about 3% in the Central District and a decline of about 1% in the Tel
Aviv District, compared to the previous year. The percentage of immigrants settling in the Haifa and
Southern Districts and in Judea and Samaria remained almost the same compared to 2009.
Localities (Table 5)
The immigrants' first locality of residence changed correspondingly with their country of origin. From the
total of 3,404 immigrants who arrived from Russia in 2010, the largest percentage settled in Haifa (11%),
Ashdod (7%) and Jerusalem (6%). From a total of 2,530 immigrants who arrived from the United States,
the highest percentage settled in Jerusalem (34%), Bet Shemesh (10%) and Tel Aviv-Yafo (7%). The 1,775
immigrants from France chose to settle mainly in Jerusalem (21%), Netanya (20%) and Ashdod (12%).
From Ukraine 1,752 immigrants arrived, and the highest percentage of them settled in Haifa (11%),
Karmi'el (7%) and Jerusalem (5%). The 1,655 immigrants from Ethiopia arrived at Absorption Centers
mainly in Zefat (28%), Mevasseret Ziyyon (21%) and Be'er Sheva (14%).
Education and Occupation
The immigrants who arrived in 2010 were of a quite high educational level. Among those aged 15 and over,
of whom their number of years of education was known, about 60% had 13 or more years of education.
Additionally, among those aged 15 and over, about 27% had 16 or more years of education.
Correspondingly, about 69% of the immigrants, of whom their occupation was known, were scientific and
academic workers, or were professional and technical workers. These occupations generally require higher
levels of education. All this was before their immigration to Israel.
Immigration to Israel: 2010 24/02/2011
4
12
‫לוח ‪ - 1‬העלייה לישראל לפי תקופות עלייה )‪(1948-2010‬‬
‫)‪TABLE 1 - IMMIGRANTS, BY PERIOD OF IMMIGRATION (1948-2010‬‬
‫תקופת‪/‬שנת עלייה‬
‫‪Period/Year of‬‬
‫‪immigration‬‬
‫מס' מוחלטים‬
‫אחוזים‬
‫‪Absolute numbers‬‬
‫שיעורים*‬
‫‪Rates‬‬
‫‪Percents‬‬
‫סה"כ‬
‫‪3,075,311‬‬
‫‪100.0‬‬
‫‪-‬‬
‫‪1948-51‬‬
‫‪687,624‬‬
‫‪22.4‬‬
‫‪155.8‬‬
‫‪1952-59‬‬
‫‪272,446‬‬
‫‪8.9‬‬
‫‪18.6‬‬
‫‪1960-69‬‬
‫‪373,840‬‬
‫‪12.2‬‬
‫‪15.3‬‬
‫‪1970-79‬‬
‫‪346,260‬‬
‫‪11.3‬‬
‫‪10.5‬‬
‫‪1980-89‬‬
‫‪153,833‬‬
‫‪5.0‬‬
‫‪3.8‬‬
‫‪1990-99‬‬
‫‪1990‬‬
‫‪1991‬‬
‫‪1992‬‬
‫‪1993‬‬
‫‪1994‬‬
‫‪1995‬‬
‫‪1996‬‬
‫‪1997‬‬
‫‪1998‬‬
‫‪1999‬‬
‫‪956,319‬‬
‫‪199,516‬‬
‫‪176,100‬‬
‫‪77,057‬‬
‫‪76,805‬‬
‫‪79,844‬‬
‫‪76,361‬‬
‫‪70,919‬‬
‫‪66,221‬‬
‫‪56,730‬‬
‫‪76,766‬‬
‫‪31.1‬‬
‫‪6.5‬‬
‫‪5.7‬‬
‫‪2.5‬‬
‫‪2.5‬‬
‫‪2.6‬‬
‫‪2.5‬‬
‫‪2.3‬‬
‫‪2.2‬‬
‫‪1.8‬‬
‫‪2.5‬‬
‫‪17.0‬‬
‫‪42.8‬‬
‫‪35.6‬‬
‫‪15.0‬‬
‫‪15.0‬‬
‫‪14.8‬‬
‫‪13.8‬‬
‫‪12.5‬‬
‫‪11.4‬‬
‫‪9.5‬‬
‫‪12.5‬‬
‫‪2000-2010‬‬
‫‪2000‬‬
‫‪2001‬‬
‫‪2002‬‬
‫‪2003‬‬
‫‪2004‬‬
‫‪2005‬‬
‫‪2006‬‬
‫‪2007‬‬
‫‪2008‬‬
‫‪2009‬‬
‫‪2010‬‬
‫‪285,697‬‬
‫‪60,192‬‬
‫‪43,580‬‬
‫‪33,567‬‬
‫‪23,268‬‬
‫‪20,893‬‬
‫‪21,180‬‬
‫‪19,264‬‬
‫‪18,131‬‬
‫‪13,699‬‬
‫‪14,572‬‬
‫‪16,633‬‬
‫‪9.3‬‬
‫‪2.0‬‬
‫‪1.4‬‬
‫‪1.1‬‬
‫‪0.8‬‬
‫‪0.7‬‬
‫‪0.7‬‬
‫‪0.6‬‬
‫‪0.6‬‬
‫‪0.4‬‬
‫‪0.5‬‬
‫‪0.5‬‬
‫‪3.9‬‬
‫‪9.6‬‬
‫‪7.0‬‬
‫‪5.1‬‬
‫‪3.4‬‬
‫‪3.1‬‬
‫‪3.1‬‬
‫‪2.7‬‬
‫‪2.5‬‬
‫‪1.9‬‬
‫‪1.9‬‬
‫‪**2.2‬‬
‫* שיעורים ל‪ 1,000 -‬תושבים באוכלוסיה הממוצעת‬
‫**מחושב ע"פ נתוני אוכלוסייה ארעיים ל‪2010-‬‬
‫‪13‬‬
‫‪5‬‬
‫‪Immigration to Israel: 2010 24/02/2011‬‬
TABLE 2 - IMMIGRANTS, BY CONTINENT AND SELECTED
LAST COUNTRY OF RESIDENCE
(1)‫ אחוז השינוי‬I-XII 2010
Last country of residence Percent change ‫אחוזים‬
%
GRAND TOTAL
Asia
14
100.0
-7
8.5
‫לפי יבשת וארצות מגורים‬,‫ עולים‬- 2 ‫לוח‬
‫אחרונות נבחרות‬
I-XII 2010
I-XII 2009
I-XII 2009
‫מס' מוחלטים‬
‫אחוזים‬
‫מס' מוחלטים‬
Absolute
Absolute
%
numbers
numbers
16,633
1,415
100.0
14,572
10.4
1,516
Thereof:
‫סך כולל‬
‫אסיה‬
:‫מזה‬
- (‫בריה"מ )לשעבר‬
USSR (former) Asian countries
‫ארץ מגורים אחרונה‬
-6
6.9
1,148
8.4
1,219
Africa
245
11.6
1,937
3.8
561
Thereof:
Ethiopia
592
10.0
1,655
1.6
239
Europe
7
54.9
9,126
58.8
8,565
‫אירופה‬
Thereof:
France
14
10.7
1,775
10.7
1,557
United Kingdom
-11
3.8
632
4.9
708
:‫מזה‬
‫צרפת‬
‫הממלכה המאוחדת‬
4
35.2
5,851
38.4
5,600
USSR (former) European countries
‫מדינות אסיאניות‬
‫אפריקה‬
‫אתיופיה‬
:‫מזה‬
- (‫בריה"מ )לשעבר‬
‫מדינות אירופיות‬
: ‫מזה‬
Thereof:
Ukraine
9
10.5
1,752
11.0
1,602
‫אוקראינה‬
Russian Federation
5
20.5
3,404
22.3
3,245
‫ )ה(פדרציה של‬,‫רוסיה‬
America and Oceania
6
25.0
4,154
27.0
3,930
‫אמריקה ואוקיאניה‬
Thereof:
Argentina
19
2.0
337
1.9
284
:‫מזה‬
‫ארגנטינה‬
2
-4
15.2
1.6
2,530
271
17.0
1.9
2,473
283
USA
Canada
Not known
1
0
‫ארה"ב‬
‫קנדה‬
‫לא ידוע‬
.‫ מוכפל במאה‬,‫ חלקי נתון השנה הקודמת‬,‫( אחוז השינוי הוא ההפרש בין נתון השנה הנוכחית לנתון השנה הקודמת‬1)
Immigration to Israel: 2010 24/02/2011
6
14
TABLE 3 - IMMIGRANTS, BY AGE GROUP
2010
Age
group
‫ לפי קבוצת גיל‬,‫ עולים‬- 3 ‫לוח‬
‫אחוזים‬
%
2009
‫מספרים‬
‫מוחלטים‬
Absolute
numbers
‫אחוזים‬
%
‫קבוצת‬
‫מספרים‬
‫מוחלטים‬
Absolute
numbers
‫גיל‬
Total
100.0
16,633
100.0
14,572
‫סך הכל‬
0 - 14
19.7
3,285
18.5
2,699
14 - 0
15 - 64
68.7
11,431
70.0
10,195
64 - 15
65+
11.5
1,917
11.5
1,678
+65
29.8
‫גיל חציוני‬
Median age
Immigration to Israel: 2010 24/02/2011
29.3
7
15
TABLE 4: FIRST RESIDENCE IN REGIONS IN 2010
BY SELECTED COUNTRIES OF LAST RESIDENCE
‫ השתקעות ראשונה לפי מחוז ולפי ארץ‬- 4 ‫לוח‬
2010 ‫מגורים נבחרות לשנת‬
District
COUNTRIES OF
LAST RESIDENCE
‫מחוז‬
‫אזור יהודה‬
‫והשומרון‬
Judea and
Samaria
Absolute numbers
Total
Thereof:
Russian Federation
USA
France
Ukraine
Ethiopia
Percents
Total
Thereof:
Russian Federation
USA
France
Ukraine
Ethiopia
‫הדרום‬
‫תל אביב‬
‫המרכז‬
‫חיפה‬
‫הצפון‬
‫ירושלים‬
Southern Tel Aviv Central Haifa Northern Jerusalem
*‫סך הכל‬
‫ארץ מגורים אחרונה‬
Total
661
2,984
2,167
3,104
1,918
2,396
3,400
16,633
68
269
110
53
-
752
139
335
401
473
441
265
295
189
2
681
353
534
329
4
589
128
84
315
203
639
216
20
361
622
234
1,159
397
104
351
3,404
2,530
1,775
1,752
1,655
4.0
17.9
13.0
18.7
11.5
14.4
20.4
100.0
2.0
10.6
6.2
3.0
0.0
22.1
5.5
18.9
22.9
28.6
13.0
10.5
16.6
10.8
0.1
20.0
14.0
30.1
18.8
0.2
17.3
5.1
4.7
18.0
12.3
18.8
8.5
1.1
20.6
37.6
6.9
45.8
22.4
5.9
21.2
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
‫מספרים מוחלטים‬
‫סך הכל‬
:‫מזה‬
‫ )ה(פדרציה של‬,‫רוסיה‬
‫ארצות הברית‬
‫צרפת‬
‫אוקראינה‬
‫אתיופיה‬
‫אחוזים‬
‫סך הכל‬
:‫מזה‬
‫ )ה(פדרציה של‬,‫רוסיה‬
‫ארצות הברית‬
‫צרפת‬
‫אוקראינה‬
‫אתיופיה‬
‫* כולל מחוז השתקעות ראשונה ויבשת מוצא לא ידועים‬
16
The African Hebrews in Israel: Volume 8.2
The African Hebrews came to Israel from the United
States and settled in the town of Dimona. This
community traces its origins to an ancient tribe of the
people of Israel. The film visits a dedication ceremony
of a new center for conflict resolution based on the
teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King. Despite a
controversial beginning, this community has
established roots in the land of Israel and its members
have beengranted permanent resident status as they
integrate into the delicate mosaic of Israeli society. Running time: 5:00 minutes.
Rationale
This lesson provides an opportunity for participants to meet one of Israel’s most
interesting ethnic communities – the African Hebrews – and to learn how they are
contributing to the development of their community.
Objectives
The participant will
• Become aware of this little-known ethnic group in Israel
• Learn about their history, their growth and their contributions to Israel
Materials/Handouts
• Handout: The African Hebrew Israelite Community
• Handout: Development Towns – Spotlight on Dimona
• For this lesson, you will need a computer with internet access, and of course a
projector. View the DVD through the computer and prepare in advance the
connection to view a YouTube video clip at the conclusion of the class.
• YouTube video link for closing: http://youtu.be/oPf0hwee0nw
• Map of Israel (as large as possible) posted in classroom
Preparing the class to view the story
[Before the class, cue the DVD to 5:20 and freeze-frame on what looks like a gospel
choir. Ask the class: what are we seeing here? Where do you think it is? Chances are
that most will think it is an image of a traditional African-American gospel choir in a
church, probably somewhere in the USA.]
Many of us have learned about Israel’s Ethiopian Jewish community, but there is
another African community that has also contributed to the quality of life in Israel. They
are known as the African Hebrew Israelite community. Their history, beliefs and
practices make for a most interesting component to the ever-evolving Israeli
landscape. Let’s take a look. [Rewind DVD to beginning of film.]
View the DVD
1
Discussion/Activity (with sample answers in italics):
Reference was made to the “development town” of Dimona. Where is Dimona? [Ask
a participant to put a push-pin in the location of Dimona on the classroom map] And
what is a development town? What does that mean?
• A new town built to accommodate an influx of new immigrants
• A town built outside the main population centers in Israel, designed to expand
the population in the periphery and ease development pressure in the crowded
center of the country
What are some of the characteristics of the African Hebrew community in Israel?
• They are vegans (strict vegetarians who use no animal products at all)
• They believe they are descended from an ancient Jewish tribe
• They are still shunned by the religious establishment, but observe Jewish traditions
(wearing head covering, celebrating the holy days, etc.) and identify with
Jewish history (the Holocaust, discrimination, etc.)
• They live communally
• They practice polygamy (men have several wives)
• They are devoted to Israel, to raising their families there
• The community has grown from a core group of 350 to over 2,000 members
• They were stateless citizens between the time they left America and were
granted permanent residency in Israel
What possible outcomes can result from the African Hebrews opening this Center for
Conflict Resolution?
• More people will learn how to resolve an issue before it becomes a problem
• Can benefit families and individuals in interpersonal relations
• Can help communities to overcome challenges
• Can help Israel, home to three major religions and immigrants from numerous
countries, to address conflicts that result from cultural divides
• Long-term potential for greater understanding of regional peace issues
• African Hebrews can counter criticism of Israel as an ‘apartheid state’
Closing
Since this film was made, the African Hebrew community has grown substantially.
Construction of their expanded neighborhood is complete. Their athletes represent
Israel in international sports events. Their students represent Israel in international
academic competitions at the highest levels. In 2004, Uriyahu Butler became the first
member of the African Hebrew community to enlist in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
Within 2 years, over 100 African Hebrew youth were serving in the IDF and the number
continues to grow. African Hebrews have also represented Israel twice in the
Eurovision song contest, an annual event in which some 38 countries compete. In
1999, the pop group Eden, made up of two African Hebrews and two other Israelis from
Dimona, won 5th prize in this international competition. So in the spirit of celebration of
Israel’s multicultural society, let’s enjoy the Eurovision performance of “Happy Birthday”
by Eden. The song and the performance are wonderful, and the outpouring of Israeli
pride in the Eurovision audience speaks volumes about how Israel has welcomed and
embraced the African Hebrews. [Play YouTube clip].
2
About the African Hebrews in Israel
Overview
The African Hebrews (formally known as the African Hebrew Israelites of
Jerusalem) are a spiritual group whose members believe they are
descended from among the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel. With a
population numbering over 3,000, the majority of members live in the
southern Israeli city of Dimona, in a neighborhood known as Kfar
Hashalom (Village of Peace). Other African Hebrew families have
settled in the Israeli communities of Arad and Mitzpe Ramon (also in
the Negev region of southern Israel), and near Tiberias in northern
Israel.
According to www.africanhebrewisraelitesofjerusalem.com, “we
maintain a vibrant culture which includes a communal lifestyle, a
vegan diet, a system of preventive health care and high moral
standards - - a holistic approach to life based on righteousness. Our
intent is to live according to the laws and prophecies of God.
“Since our arrival in Dimona, in 1969, it has been our objective to be
the foundation for the establishing of God’s Kingdom on Earth.
Although our presence (in previous years) raised opposition,
controversy and much political clamor, we continue to nurture from
within a lifestyle which is proving to be inspiring as well as refreshing to
everyone in a world that has waxed cold.”
Establishment of the Community in Israel
As written on the community’s website, “In 70 CE, the remnants of the
African Hebrew Israelites were driven from Jerusalem by the Romans
into different parts of the world, including Africa. Many Hebrew
Israelites migrated to West Africa where they were once again carried
away captive - this time by Europeans on slave ships - to the Americas,
along with other African tribespeople.
“In 1966 our spiritual leader, Ben Ammi Ben-Israel had a vision that it
was time for the Children of Israel who remained in America (the land
of their captivity) to return to the Holy Land (the land of their origin). In
1967, after almost two thousand years in the Diaspora, four hundred
Hebrew Israelites were inspired by the spirit of God to make an exodus
from America. According to plan, they settled in Liberia’s interior to
purge themselves of the negative attributes they had acquired in the
captivity. After spending a two-and-one-half year period in Liberia, the
African Hebrew Israelites were prepared to make the last portion of
their journey home, returning to Israel in 1969.”
Location of Dimona in the northern Negev desert
African Hebrews celebrate Shavuot
Israeli President Shimon Peres with African Hebrews
Spiritual leader Ben Ammi Ben-Israel
The African Hebrews entered Israel on tourist visas that were periodically renewed. As their numbers
grew, the Chief Rabbinate of Israel ruled that they were not Jews, and therefore not entitled to Israeli
citizenship under the Law of Return. Members of the group continued to arrive and settle in Dimona.
For two decades, their population continued growing through natural increase and illegal
immigration. In May 1990, the group reached an agreement with the Israeli government whereby
they were granted visas that entitled them to work; in 1991 they were given temporary resident status
for a period of five years, which in 1995 was extended for another three years. At the beginning of
2004, the group was granted residency status by the Israeli Interior Ministry.
3
Philosophy, Beliefs and Practices
The African Hebrews’ philosophy is expressed as follows on their
website: “…we have committed ourselves to the high degree of
courage and discipline required to establish an alternative lifestyle that
is in harmony with the cycles of God. We adhere to customs and
traditions that have been either handed down to us from generation
to generation or that have evolved as we undergo a process of
redemption - - the recuperation from the effects of slavery and nearly
having lost total knowledge of our identity and heritage. The keeping
of the Sabbath and Holy Days, (Passover, Shavuot, Yom Kippur and
Sukkot) … is our way of expressing appreciation to the benevolent
God.
In conjunction with these Holy Days we also observe (among others)
the following Biblical laws: the maintenance of a vegan diet void of all
animal by-products (Genesis 1:29) the wearing of only natural fabrics - cotton, wool, linen and silk (based on Leviticus 12:12) the circumcision
of our male children eight days after birth (Leviticus 12:3) and, the
maintenance of the laws of purification for women relative to their
monthly cycle and childbirth (Leviticus 12:2-5). We do not subscribe to
any religion because religions have only divided men. We regard the
true worship of God as a continuous process: 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week. The true worship of God is an entire way of life, a continuous
action, from the meal you eat in the morning, to the job you work on. It
encompasses your every deed and thought.”
The African Hebrews also practice abstinence from alcohol (other than
wine which they make themselves), and from all drugs (both illegal
and pharmaceutical) so as to stay within the cycles of life. The group
owns and operates a chain of vegetarian restaurants throughout the
world. Adult members exercise three times a week, and are advised to
have at least one full-body massage each month for its health benefits.
The African Hebrews live communally, and practice polygamy. A
woman is allowed to marry a married man, with the maximum number
of wives being seven. Birth control is forbidden.
In 1998, American doctors visited African Hebrew community in Israel
and found that only 6% of its members suffered from high blood
pressure, compared with 30% of African Americans. Only 5% of its
members were obese, compared to 32% of black men and half of
black women in America. The doctors concluded, "These changes in
lifestyle might prevent chronic disease in American blacks, but would
be hard to achieve without the unifying power of community and
spirituality" that is characteristic of the African Hebrews.
10th grade African Hebrew students
African Hebrew children at school in Dimona
Conference on Regenerative Health in Ghana
Entrance to African Hebrew neighborhood in Dimona
The African Hebrews take pride in having created a community of “men who are capable,
responsible and caring; women who are valued as equals and encouraged to achieve; children who
are protected, nurtured and encouraged to grow and appreciate the Creation and respect their role
in it; elders who are healthy, vital, revered for their wisdom and knowledge and expected to continue
as integral, functioning parts of the community.”
4
Achievements
African Hebrews represent Israel at home and abroad in international
sports events (track & field, soccer, softball). African Hebrew students
represent Israel in international academic competitions at the highest
levels. Members of the African Hebrew community have represented
Israel in two Eurovision song contests, winning 5th prize in 1999 (the pop
group Eden), and making the finals of the competition in 2006 (soloist
Eddie Butler, a founding member of Eden with his brother Gabriel).
In 2004, Uriyahu Butler became the first member of the community to
enlist in the Israel Defense Force (IDF); within 2 years, more than 100
African Hebrew young men were serving in regular units of the IDF. The
IDF also agreed to accommodate some of the African Hebrew
soldiers’ dietary and religious requirements.
African Hebrew dancers at a celebration in Dimona
In February 2005, in conjunction with the Southern Christian Leadership
Conference, the group set up a conflict resolution center in Dimona to
teach non-violence and reconciliation to families, communities, faiths
and nations.
In 2006, in partnership with MASHAV, the Center for International
Cooperation of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of
Health of the Republic of Ghana, the African Hebrew Development
Agency initiated the Organic Restoration Village in Ghana. A team
from Israel, including soil, water and infrastructure experts, and an
African Hebrew expert in bio-organic production, collected, examined
and processed information for the establishment of a farm for bioorganic produce. An African Hebrew delegation also held seven
months of nationwide seminars in Ghana focused on a healthy lifestyle
based on a vegan diet. This led to a unique project to establish a
demonstration village (with residential quarters, classrooms and labs)
and a farm for production of bio-organic products, to be managed by
Minister Yadiel from the African Hebrew community in Dimona.
African Hebrew leader represents Israel at global
Conference on nonviolence
Pop group Eden, with African Hebrew singers
Eddie and Gabriel Butler (1st and 3rd from left) won
5th prize at the1999 Eurovision Song Context
This enterprise is one of several projects the African Hebrew Development Agency has sponsored or
developed in Ghana, Liberia and Kenya.
5
Page 1 of 2
The African Hebrew Development Agency (AHDA) is a registered, non-governmental organization
(NGO) operating across Africa and organized by the African Hebrew Israelite Community of Dimona,
Israel. AHDA specializes in providing technical assistance, training and consultancy in essential areas
of human development and capacity building such as health, agriculture, rural development,
environmental maintenance and related fields.
Operating in Ghana since 1995, AHDA, known originally as the Israelite Development Agency (IDA)
has taken part in several vital projects.
1995 – Sponsored a joint medical and dental delegation to Ghana providing free treatment and
services in both rural and urban areas
1997 – Digging of water wells in the Volta region of Ghana
1998 – Sponsored the production and distribution of
anti-smoking campaign materials to senior secondary
school children
1998 – Training in organic farming and milling
techniques in partnership with the establishing of rice
and flour mills in the Volta region
2002 – Conducted nutritional seminars on benefits of
soya and designing of school feeding programs
2003 – Training in soy bean cultivation in the Northern
Region of Ghana.
2006 – Regenerative Health and Nutrition Program
operating in Ghana in conjunction with the Ghanaian Ministry of Health.
Other AHDA projects across Africa include:
Constructing and training in the use of bio-gas digesters to provide electricity in rural Liberia.
2006 – Food Security and Agriculture Project in the West Pokot District of Kenya
It is the position of the AHDA that the most valuable resources Africa has to offer, are its human
http://www.africanhebrewdevelopmentagency.com/
6
10/2/2011
Page 2 of 2
resources and that by investing in its development, we will insure a future of strength, vitality and
productivity for the continent.
6th Link Close • No. 12 • Cantonments, Accra • P.O. Box OS 2275 • OSU-ACCRA • Tel: +233.21.760.614
P.O. Box 465 • Dimona, Israel 86000 • 972 8 655 6859 • info@africanhebrewdevelopmentagency.com
http://www.africanhebrewdevelopmentagency.com/
7
10/2/2011
Black Hebrew Eddie Butler to represent Israel at Eurovision Song Contest 14-May-2006
Page 1 of 2
Black Hebrew Eddie Butler to represent Israel at
Eurovision Song Contest
14 May 2006
"I'm more than happy to
represent the country I was born
in," says Israeli Eurovision
contestant Eddie Butler. "I love
Jerusalem, I love Israel, I live for
this country."
Courtesy Israel21c
By Viva Press - Israel 21c
As he performs his soulful number at the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest in Athens on
May 18, 34-year old Eddie Butler will not just be representing his country, but the unique
community in which he grew up.
Butler may not look the part, but he is a native son of Israel - born in the Negev. Butler's
parents are Americans, and members of the Black Hebrews African-American community
that believes they are a lost tribe of Israel. His mother and father came to Israel for a visit
37 years ago and decided to stay.
"I'm more than happy to represent the country I was born in. I love Jerusalem, I love Israel,
I live for this country," Butler told ISRAEL21c. "This is my home."
It will be Butler's second opportunity to represent Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest:
Europe's biggest pop music shindig with 38 nations competing for the best song. Butler
represented Israel back in 1999 as part of a group, Eden, placing a respectable fifth.
This year's contest is the opportunity he says he's been waiting for and this time he hopes
to reach the top spot. "This time, I'll be singing solo, and the stage is mine," Butler says. "I
did not serve in the IDF (army) and now I have the opportunity to pay back the country
which I love so much. I'm going out there and I'm going to do what I do best. I'm going to
sing my song from the bottom of my heart."
Butler's entry, "Together We Are One", is a pop ballad influenced by R&B and soul, which
he is singing partly in English and partly in Hebrew.
"English is universal, and I wanted the chorus to ring in the audiences' heads. 'Together We
Are One' is talking about love. At first I wanted to write a spiritual song but then I said I'd
rather not preach too much right now. When I wrote it, former prime minister Ariel Sharon
had just had his stroke, there was uncertainty about Ehud Olmert, and Iran's president was
talking crazy. I just wanted to give the Israelis a concert they could enjoy, and later I'll get
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Black Hebrew Eddie Butler to represent Israel at Eurovision Song Contest 14-May-2006
Page 2 of 2
my [spiritual] messages out."
Having been marginalized for nearly four decades by the Israeli government, music has
been a key element in earning the Black Hebrews' acceptance in the state. From the time
he was eight years old, Butler and his brothers toured the country singing for all those who
would listen. They gave a face to the mysterious community not many Israelis knew
existed.
The head of the Black Hebrews - or the African Hebrew Israelites of Jerusalem, as they call
themselves - is Ben Ammi Ben Israel (whose name translates to 'son of my people, son of
Israel'), a former Chicago steelworker who came to Israel in the late 1960s. The group
claims descent from the ancient Israelites, who they say, wandered through West Africa
after the biblical expulsions.
Despite their claims of Jewish ancestry, the Black Hebrews had been denied citizenship
and restricted to temporary-resident status for many years. Today, the community,
numbering some 2,500 people, holds permanent residency, and encourages their young
people to enlist in the army.
"A small community that had its origins in not being at all accepted as part of Israel, and
now we're representing Israel!" spokeswoman Yaffa Bat Gavriel told the Associated Press.
"And that's where we want to be. We want to show that we're here to do our part for this
country."
Most of the community still resides in southern Israel. At the age of 19, Butler decided that
he needed to be in Tel Aviv in order to succeed in music. He sang at a number of local
venues before eventually joining forces up with his brother, Gabriel, and two Israelis who
were not from the Black Hebrew community to form the band, Eden. The group broke up in
2001, and a year later, Butler embarked on a solo career.
Since then, he has performed throughout Europe, Russia and the US. In 2003, he
represented Israel in Yurmala, Russia's equivalent to the Eurovision Song Contest. He won
the title of "audience favorite" and received an offer to stay in Russia and perform there.
But he chose to return to Israel, which he repeatedly states is his "true home". Married to
an Israeli and a new father, Butler is now in the process of converting to Judaism.
"I'm feeling good," Butler said. "I know that in Europe they don't have songs like this. I keep
up with the charts, and listen to European music, and know there's no soul there. They
have good music coming from Europe but not in 2006. There's no more Beatles, no Phil
Collins, so I think we have a great chance. I'm going to give it my best."
Courtesy http://www.israel21c.org/
9
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Development Towns in Israel – Spotlight on Dimona
What is a development town?
Development town (Hebrew: ‫פיתוח עיירת‬, Ayarat Pitu'ah) is a term used
to refer to new communities that were built in Israel during the 1950s in
order to provide permanent housing to a large influx of new
immigrants. The towns were designated to expand the population of
the country's peripheral areas and to ease development pressure on
the country's crowded centre. The majority of such towns were built in
the Galilee in northern Israel, and in the northern Negev desert in
southern Israel.
Why were development towns needed?
From 1948 through the early 1950s, the newly independent State of
Israel absorbed massive numbers of new citizens. 80% of them were
Jewish refugees who fled or were expelled from Arab countries in the
Middle East and North Africa. Another 20% were Holocaust survivors
from Europe. They were brought to ma’abarot (from the Hebrew word
ma’avar, which means transit) -- temporary communities comprised of
tents and rudimentary tin dwellings. By 1951, some125 ma’abarot
were home to over 220,000 people. Living conditions were extremely
harsh. The Israeli government, under the leadership of Israel's first Prime
Minister, David Ben-Gurion, knew that permanent housing was urgently
needed. The Development Towns Project was created to replace the
ma’abarot. By 1963, the last of the ma’abarot were closed.
What are the development towns in Israel?
The first development town was Beit Shemesh, founded in 1950 about
20km from Jerusalem. Other development towns in Israel’s center are
Or Yehuda and Yavne. The majority of Israel’s development towns,
however, are in the northern and southern periphery of Israel. They
are: Carmiel, Hatzor HaGlilit, Kiryat Shmona, Migdal HaEmek, Nazareth
Illit, Shlomi, Beit She’an and Yokneam in the north; and Arad, Dimona,
Kiryat Gat, Kiryat Malachi, Mitzpe Ramon, Netivot, Ofakim, Sderot and
Yeroham in the south.
Characteristics of development towns
Owing to the background of their earliest immigrants, a high proportion
of the population of development towns is religious or traditional.
Businesses and industries are eligible for favorable tax treatment and
other subsidies. However, most of these towns have struggled
economically, due to their peripheral location and (until relatively
recent times) distance from mass transportation routes.
Beit Lid Immigration Camp 1949
Children playing in a ma’abara 1952
Tin dwelling, Nahariya ma’abara 1951
Yokneam – once a development
Town, today a successful city
Carmiel, a development town, is now
Development towns today
a city that hosts a cutting-edge
international dance festival annually
In 1984, the Development Towns Project was awarded the Israel Prize
(the country’s highest honor) for its special contribution to Israeli
society. Many development towns gained a new influx of residents during the mass immigration from
former Soviet states in the early 1990s, and from Ethiopia in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Today,
while some development towns continue to struggle, others have blossomed as centers of culture and
art (notably Carmiel, home to a major international summer dance festival), and as high-tech
incubators (notably Yokneam, home to numerous technology startups and global leaders like Given
Imaging, developer of the “camera in a pill”).
10
Spotlight on Dimona
Dimona (Hebrew: ‫ )דִּימוֹנָה‬has grown from a development town into a
city. It is located in the northern Negev desert, 36 kilometers (22 mi)
to the south of Beersheva and 35 kilometers (22 mi) west of the Dead
Sea. The city's name is derived from a biblical town, mentioned in
Joshua 15:21-22.
A view from a terrace in Dimona today
Dimona was conceived in 1953 and settled in 1955, mostly by new
immigrants from Northern Africa, who also constructed the city's
houses. The emblem of Dimona, adopted in March of 1961,
appeared on an Israeli postage stamp issued four years later.
When the Israeli nuclear program started later that decade, a
location not far from the city was chosen for the Negev Nuclear
Research Center due to its relative isolation in the desert and
availability of nearby housing.
A Dimona neighborhood today
The crest of the Dimona Municipality
African Hebrew spiritual leader
Ben Ammi Ben-Israel celebrates
Passover in Dimona
In spite of a gradual decrease during the 1980s, the city's population
began to grow once again in the 1990s with the Russian immigration
and the arrival (and subsequent growth) of the African Hebrew
community. Today, Dimona is the third largest city in the Negev with
a population of approximately 34,000 people, according to the most
recent Israeli census.
About one-third of the city’s population is employed in industrial
workplaces such as Dimona Silica Industries (manufacturers of silica
and calcium carbonate fillers), chemical companies such as Dead
Sea Works, burgeoning high-tech companies and some textile plants.
Dimona has taken part of Israel's solar transformation: the Rotem
Industrial Complex outside of the city has dozens of solar mirrors that
focus the sun's rays on a tower that in turn heats a water boiler to
create steam, turning a turbine to create electricity. Luz II, Ltd.,
another Dimona company, plans to use the solar array to test new
technology for the three new solar plants to be built in California for
Pacific Gas and Electric.
Transportation has increased access to Dimona in recent years.
Although Dimona (and points south) had rail lines since the early
1950s, they were built for freight traffic only. In 2005, as a result of
relentless advocacy by the municipality’s governing council,
passenger rail service began and a new Israel Railways station was
constructed in the southwestern part of the city. Dimona also has a
Central Bus Station, with connections to Beersheva, Tel Aviv, Eilat and
nearby towns.
11
American Football – Alive in Israel: Volume 8.3
Super Bowl fever hits Israel! Yes, football mania has
indeed reached the Holy Land. Kraft Stadium,
dedicated by the owner of the New England Patriots,
is a first class stadium, home to the American Football
League in Israel. Shortly after the Patriots’ Super Bowl
win in 2004, Kraft visited Israel with several of his
championship players – and the Super Bowl trophy -to dedicate the new stadium. Following a spirited
game, fans expressed hope that perhaps one day the
silver trophy will come back to the city of gold. Running time: 5:35 minutes.
Rationale
This lesson provides an opportunity for participants to learn about one distinctive
American import to Israel – the game of football in all its forms.
Objectives
The participant will
• Learn about the rapid development of American football in Israel
• Get to know Robert Kraft, a Jewish-American businessman whose support has
been invaluable to the rapid growth of this sport in Israel
• Join in a uniquely Israeli celebration
Materials/Handouts
• Robert & Myra Kraft – Patrons of American Football in Israel
• American Football in Israel – An Annotated Timeline
• Song: Siman Tov u’ Mazel Tov
Preparing the class to view the story
Microsoft. Intel. Office Depot. McDonald’s. Coffee Bean. Pizza Hut. Ben & Jerry’s. If
you’re an American in Israel, your surroundings are filled with many things American.
And now there’s one more. It rose from humble beginnings 20 years ago, from the
vision of a few people who have a passion for the sport of American football. Since
then, it has galvanized Israelis of all backgrounds, and attracted the support of one of
American sports’ most recognizable names. Let’s take a look.
View the DVD
Discussion/Activity (with sample answers in italics):
So, what did we experience in this story, other than men and women playing football?
What emotions, what values did we experience?
• Love
o “love America, love Israel, love Jerusalem, love American football”
o Even one of the Knesset ministers says football is the game of all games.
• Commitment – American football is alive in Israel because of the commitment of
its founders, of the Krafts, and of the people who come out to play and to watch
1
•
•
•
•
Passion – for the game and for the camaraderie that develops as a result
Pride
o in the state of the art facilities
o in the ability to be immersed in Israel, in Judaism and in football – the best
of both worlds (American and Israeli)
o in the potential for Israel to host international championship
o in “the best Jewish players in the world”
o Kraft speaks of feeling chills from hearing both the American national
anthem sung by Israelis, and in hearing Hatikvah sung on a football field
Inspiration – from the Lombardi Super Bowl Trophy having been brought to Israel
Pluralism
o women were standing on the sidelines in the past, now they play too
o religious and secular play together
In this story, Robert Kraft notes that it wasn’t until he and his family invested in American
football in Israel, and established the stadium in Jerusalem, that his American team, the
New England Patriots, won 3 out of the next 4 Super Bowls. He doesn’t think that’s a
coincidence. Why?
• Because he’s proud to be Jewish
• Because the Jewish way of giving is called tzedakah – which means justice,
doing the right thing, righteousness. It’s not just giving for giving’s sake.
• He believes he’s receiving a spiritual reward for investing in Israel
Everybody seemed excited to be in the presence of the Lombardi Trophy. It represents
more than the pinnacle of NFL achievement, winning the Super Bowl. Anyone know
who it’s named for, what it represents?
• Vince Lombardi – won the first two Super Bowls coaching Green Bay Packers
• Lombardi never had a losing season as a head coach
• Lombardi was a legendary leader and coach – often quoted even today
Vince Lombardi said a lot of important things in his life. Just listen to a few of them and
then let’s discuss how they apply not only to football, but to Israel:
“Individual commitment to a group effort – that is what makes a team work, a
company work, a society work, a civilization work.”
“The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence,
regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.”
“It’s not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get up.”
“Football is a great deal like life in that it teaches that work, sacrifice, perseverance,
competitive drive, selflessness and respect for authority is the price that each and every
one of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile.”
“Perfection is not attainable. But if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.”
• The quotes about group effort and hard work remind us of the pioneers of Israel,
the kibbutz movement, the absorption into Israeli society of immigrants from
many land, and of course the development of the football league!
• The quotes about excellence – speak to the Israeli striving for the best its society
can offer, as seen in medical advances that have changed the world, high tech
inventions that are utilized globally, arts organizations like the Israel Philharmonic
2
•
that bring the best of music to the rest of the world. They also are evidenced in
the many Nobel Prizes won by Israelis.
The quotes that referencing being knocked down and getting up, and that
speak about sacrifice and perseverance – these speak to Israel’s survival after so
many wars and terror attacks.
Closing
Since this story was filmed, tackle football (also supported by the Kraft family) has come
to Israel, as you will read in your handouts, and it is growing fast. Bigger field, more
players, goalposts, equipment, the works. But it hasn’t overshadowed or diminished
Israelis’ passion for flag football. Both leagues keep growing, and are now attracting
players from across Israel’s ethnic landscape – secular, religious, Muslim, Christian,
Palestinian, even Thai workers have a passion for the sport.
Sports bars like Mike’s Place in Tel Aviv and The Lion’s Den in Jerusalem are thriving
places to hang out, enjoy beer and great food, and to watch sports on the big screens.
One can only imagine that “tailgate parties” – the parking lot barbecues indigenous to
American football in the USA – will be next on the horizon. Israeli tailgate parties will
probably be a lot like those in America, with a few notable exceptions. In place of the
guacamole and taco chips, you’ll have mashed avocado with fresh lemon and
pepper -- an Israeli favorite, with pita chips to scoop it up! And your hamburgers and
hot dogs won’t be on a bun with ketchup and mustard; they’ll be inside pita bread with
hummus, tehina and chopped Israeli salad.
We saw the happy players, heard the marching band and the national anthems, but
there was one thing about the victory celebration that was uniquely Israeli. Think
about it: after the Super Bowl, the fans of the winning team might chant or sing “We
Will Rock You” or “We Are the Champions” as the losing team’s players and fans file out
of the stadium, dejected and disappointed. But in Israel, both sides celebrate,
because they’re proud that they can come together and play football in Israel. They
sing “Siman Tov u’ Mazel Tov,” the all-purpose Jewish celebration song. Its words mean
“congratulations and good luck, for us and for all Israel.” A worthy sentiment for both
sides!
[Ask if a participant in the class knows the song Siman Tov u’Mazel Tov – if so, ask that
person to lead the song. Hand out the music with words (reading music isn’t a
requirement; the song is simple enough for a person to learn by ear quickly). Invite the
class to join in singing this simple song together.}
Next time in Jerusalem – at Kraft Stadium!
3
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4
Robert & Myra Kraft: Patrons of American Football in Israel
The Early Years & Family Life
Robert K. Kraft was born in 1941 to a Jewish family in Brookline,
Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston. He graduated from Brookline
High School in 1959 and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in
1963 from Columbia University, attending the university on
scholarship and playing on the school’s lightweight football team.
That same year, he married the former Myra Hiatt, the daughter of
Jewish philanthropist Jacob Hiatt, who had grown up in Lithuania
and moved to the United States in 1935 to escape the Nazis. Myra
Kraft’s father lost his parents, sisters and a brother in the
concentration camps of Eastern Europe.
After their marriage, Myra continued her studies until graduation in 1964 from Brandeis University, and
Robert went on to attain an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1965.
Robert and Myra Kraft
became parents to four sons: Jonathan, Daniel, Joshua and David.
During her lifetime, Myra Hiatt Kraft was an active and powerful force in her family's foundation and
served on the boards of varied community and charitable organizations. In naming her to its list of the
city's 50 most powerful women, Boston magazine credited Mrs. Kraft with "injecting more than $100
million into dozens of causes -- from tiny grassroots campaigns to major universities." Myra Kraft died
from cancer, at age 68, in the summer of 2011.
Business & Professional Life
Robert Kraft began his professional career with the Rand-Whitney Group, a Worcester, Massachusettsbased packaging company owned by his father-in law. He still serves as this company's chairman. In
1972, he founded International Forest Products, a trader of physical paper commodities. The two
combined companies make up the largest privately held paper and packaging companies in the
United States.
International Forest Products is named consistently among the top 100 US
exporters/importers.
In 1986, Kraft helped a minority business group acquire WNEV-TV, a CBS affiliate in Boston (now NBC
affiliate WHDH-TV). He continued his investment in the entertainment field by buying several Boston
radio stations.
He also joined a private equity group that funded film, theatre, and television
productions.
Today, Robert Kraft is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Kraft Group, a diversified holding
company with assets in paper and packaging, sports and entertainment, real estate development
and a private equity portfolio. His holdings include the National Football League's New England
Patriots and Major League Soccer's New England Revolution, and Gillette Stadium. As of 2011, he
serves on the Board of Directors of Viacom and the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston; as a trustee of
Boston College; and as a trustee emeritus of his alma mater, Columbia University. His net worth, as
published in the Forbes 400 Richest Americans list, is estimated (as of 2011) at $1.7 billion.
Myra Kraft managed the Robert and Myra Kraft Family Foundation and was president of the New
England Patriots Charitable Foundation, which contributed millions to charities in the United States and
Israel.
In 1995, she became the first woman to chair the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston, a position she held until
2002. She was so effective that the organization altered its bylaws to extend her term beyond the
customary four years. She served for two years as chair of the board of directors of United Way of
Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley. She also served as chairwoman of the Combined Jewish
Philanthropies and was on the board of directors of the American Repertory Theatre, Brigham and
Women's Hospital and Brandeis University.
5
Robert Kraft’s Business Acumen + Passion for Football = Success for the Patriots
A Patriots fan since their American Football League days, Robert Kraft has been a season ticket holder
since 1971, when the team moved to the then-Schaefer Stadium. In 1985, he bought an option on the
parcel adjacent to the stadium. This would be the first in a series of steps which would culminate
nearly a decade later in his eventual ownership of the team. In 1988, he outbid several competitors
to buy the stadium out of bankruptcy court for $25 million. The purchase included the stadium's lease
to the Patriots – which would later provide Kraft leverage in purchasing the team.
In 1992, a businessman from St. Louis, Missouri
named James Orthwein purchased the Patriots
from its then-owner, Victor Kiam, who was facing
bankruptcy and was indebted to Orthwein for
several million dollars. For the next two years,
rumors were rampant of a Patriots move to St.
Louis. It was known that Orthwein wanted to return
the NFL to his hometown (which had lost its team,
the Cardinals, in 1988). In 1994, Orthwein offered
Kraft $75 million to buy out the team's lease at the
Foxboro Stadium. If Kraft agreed, the Patriots
would be free to move to St. Louis. Kraft rejected
the offer and made a counter-bid: $175 million
(then an NFL record) for the outright purchase of
the team. This was a surprising move: the Patriots
were, at the time, among the NFL's least-valuable
Kraft with Patriots Coach Bill Belichick and players
franchises. As Kraft had the stadium lease as
leverage, Orthwein had little choice but to accept Kraft's counter-offer.
The day after the NFL approved the sale in January 1994, Patriots fans showed their appreciation by
purchasing almost 6,000 season tickets en route to selling out every game for the first time in the team's
34-year history. Every home game has been sold out since. The Patriots responded by putting together
a seven-game winning streak to end the 1994 season, making the playoffs for the first time since 1986.
In 1996, Kraft founded the New England Revolution, a charter member of Major League Soccer which
began playing alongside the Patriots at Foxboro. The Patriots nearly moved to Hartford, Connecticut
in 1999 after Massachusetts state legislators balked at approving subsidies for revamping of the
stadium and improvements to the area surrounding it in Foxboro.
At the eleventh hour, the
Massachusetts legislature approved the subsidies and hurdles were cleared for what became Gillette
Stadium in their longtime home of Foxboro. The $350 million stadium, privately financed by Kraft,
opened in 2002 as CMGI Field; later, the Gillette Company took over naming rights.
In 2007, Kraft announced plans to develop the land around Gillette Stadium, creating a $375 million
open air shopping and entertainment center called Patriot Place. The development opened in stages
through 2007, 2008, and 2009 and included "The Hall at Patriot Place," a multi-story museum attached
to the stadium, and the "CBS Scene," a CBS-themed restaurant.
The Patriots appeared in Super Bowl XX under their original owners,
the Sullivans. Yet, this was one of only six playoff appearances in 33
years. However, since Kraft bought the team, they have
• made the playoffs 12 times in 17 years
• appeared in more playoff games (25) than in the team's first
34 seasons combined (10)
• won AFC East titles in 1996, 1997, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005,
2006, 2007, 2009, and 2010
• represented the AFC in the Super Bowl in 1996 (lost), 2001
(won) 2003 (won) 2004 (won) and 2007 (lost)
• finished the 2003, 2004, and 2010 seasons with identical 14–2
regular-season records
• finished the 2007 regular season undefeated (after which
they lost to the NY Giants in Super Bowl XLII)
In Kraft's first 17 seasons as team owner, the Patriots won 180 regular
season games and 17 playoff games (including Super Bowls XXXVI,
XXXVIII and XXXIX). The team is on pace to reach a milestone
200th win under Kraft ownership in 2011.
Robert Kraft with the Super Bowl trophy
6
Improving the Quality of Life through Philanthropy
Over the years, Robert and Myra Kraft donated tens of millions of dollars to a variety of philanthropic
causes including education, children and women’s issues, healthcare, youth sports and American and
Israeli causes. Among the many institutions the Krafts have supported are Columbia University, Harvard
Business School, Brandeis University, The College of the Holy Cross, Boston College, Tufts University, the
Belmont Hill School, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston, and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.
In 2007, in recognition of a gift of $5 million in support of Columbia University's intercollegiate athletics
program, the playing field at Columbia's Lawrence A. Wien Stadium at the university’s Athletics
Complex was named Robert K. Kraft Field.
In 2011, the Krafts made their last major philanthropic donation together, a $20-million gift to Partners
HealthCare to create a center for improving access and quality of health care for the neediest in the
Boston area. It is hoped that the center will be a model for similar efforts across the United States.
One of the Krafts’ most distinctive projects is its support of
American Football Israel, its establishment of the Kraft
Stadium in Jerusalem (rededicated in 2005 after renovation)
and the Kraft Family Israel Football League, a tackle football
league that began in 2007.
Their interest in American football in Israel went well beyond
the parameters of funding, with the Krafts taking a hands-on
role in the development of the sport, visiting Israel every year
to track its progress, until Myra Kraft’s death in 2011. Myra
Kraft showed particular interest in the development of WAFI
(Women’s American Football in Israel) and was one of the
league's first fans - she wanted to make sure that the women
of Israel were also afforded the opportunity to play flag
football, and was passionately committed to the
development of the women’s league and the Women’s
National Flag Football Team.
The Krafts were first to sponsor women's flag football play in Israel, and they inspired other donors to
join them as dedicated sponsors.
Today, every day of the week, Kraft Stadium in Jerusalem is
occupied by football players - men, women, and youth; people of many backgrounds and faiths.
7
American Football in Israel:
An Annotated Timeline
1988
Steve Leibowitz and Danny Gewirtz establish the first
American football league in Israel, the American Football in
Israel Men’s Contact League. The league has grown to
encompass some 90 teams and over 1,000 players. In each
league, teams play in colored jerseys displaying the name
of the team sponsor (which may be a business, a nonprofit
or a municipality). Players range in age from 16-40, with
most 18-25, and come from all over the country. The
games are played on Fridays before Shabbat and
Saturdays after Shabbat. After the regular season and
playoffs, there are a number of bowl games, including the
Holyland Bowl, the national flag football championship game. The AFI Men’s Contact
League is 6 on 6 (six players per side on the field at any point in time).
1990
American Football in Israel (AFI) is established as a non-profit association. Steve
Leibowitz serves as President and Danny Gewirtz serves as Commissioner. AFI is a
member of the International Federation of American Football (www.ifaf.info).
2002
The Tuesday Night Football League, an adult, co-ed, non-contact league is launched.
2004
AFI is granted official recognition, by the Sports Authority of the Israeli Ministry of
Education, as the governing body of American football in Israel.
AFI establishes its first women’s league, Women’s American
Football in Israel (WAFI), thanks in part to funding from NFL
International. WAFI plays 5 on 5 according to the NFL/EFAF Flag
Football Rules, with five players per side on the field at any time.
NFL International helps to establish the first high school boys’ noncontact football league, which also plays 5 on 5 and has adopted
EFAF/NFL Flag Football Rules.
At the February 2004 World Cup of Flag Football in the Dominican Republic, the Israeli
National Men’s Team of 14 players (playing 9 on 9) finishes 4th out of 10 teams, losing a
close semifinal to Team Canada.
2005
The Kraft Stadium, the flagship venue of AFI, is rededicated in Jerusalem after
renovation, by the Kraft family, longtime supporters of football in Israel. Robert and
Myra Kraft come to Israel with NFL players from the New England Patriots and the Vince
Lombardi Super Bowl Trophy, which the Kraft-owned Patriots won in 2004.
A 9 on 9 contact football league begins to develop. Games are played on a field
twice the size of those used by flag football leagues. This marks the early development
of what will become a full-fledged tackle football league in 3 years.
The women’s national team wins the June 2005 Flag Oceane Tournament in Le Havre,
France, and finishes in 4th place at the 2005 EFAF Senior Flag Championships in Helsinki,
Finland.
2006
AFI hosts Israel’s first international tournament, IDT Global Flag, in Jerusalem in February,
sponsored by IDT Global Ser vices and played according to NFL/EFAF rules. Teams from
Italy, Germany and two teams from the USA face the best AFI talent in a group roundrobin. Fieldturf USA defeats Ziontours Israel for the title.
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Also in 2006, the AFI high school boys’ non-contact league is renamed the Yosef
Goodman High School AFI League, in memory of the Israeli national flag football team
player and Pizzeria Efrat team captain, who perishes in an army paratrooper training
accident this year.
2006/07
Women’s American Football in Israel, just two years after its establishment, has grown to
12 teams with over 100 players.
The AFI Men’s Contact League, by far AFI’s largest league, has grown to almost 60
teams with over 800 players. In the spring of 2005, there was a nine-on-nine men’s
contact league, which played on a field twice the size of the men’s contact and other
flag football leagues.
The co-ed Tuesday Night Football League has grown to 5 teams with 60 players.
In addition to the Men’s Contact League and the women’s league, AFI also includes
Israeli national teams and the Yosef Goodman High School AFI League (both played 5
on 5); and a co-ed, non-contact Tuesday Night Football League (6 on 6).
2007
The Israel Football League (IFL), Israel first full-equipped tackle football league, is
announced by AFI in March.
2007/08
The first season of the new IFL tackle football league
takes place in Israel. Four teams are part of the league:
Big Blue Jerusalem Lions, Mike’s Place Tel Aviv Sabres,
Real Housing Haifa Underdogs and the Dancing Camel
Hasharon Pioneers from Kfar Saba. The Jerusalem team
plays its home games at Kraft Stadium.
2008
A sellout crowd, along with Robert Kraft and New
England Patriots star players, defensive end Richard
Seymour and tight end Benjamin Watson, watches the
IFL regular season finale. The Big Blue Jerusalem Lions
roar out to an early lead and shut out the Mike’s Place
Tel Aviv Sabres. “I am thrilled to be in Israel watching
tackle football for the first time,” says Kraft. “I get a
special feeling in my heart every time I hear Hatikva
sung on a football field and hope to help this sport
grow in this country.”
The first annual Israel Bowl, the IFL championship, is held
on March 28, 2008 at Kraft Stadium.
2009
The women’s national team wins the championship at
Big Bowl III in Germany.
Today
AFI has teamed up with the JCC Association, the umbrella organization for Jewish
Community Centers in North America, and the National Football League (NFL) and NFL
Players Association (NFLPA) through the NFL Youth Football Fund (YFF) to significantly
increase the number of Israeli youth playing American flag football. The JCC
Association receives generous grants from the YFF to promote flag football both in the
United States and in Israel.
The IFL, now known as the Kraft Family IFL, has grown to seven teams with more than
400 players participating from around the country: secular and religious Jews, Israeli
Arab Christians and Muslims, Thais and Palestinians.
Learn More:
http://afi.dosportseasy.com/ - website of American Football in Israel
http://www.ifl.co.il/ - website of the Israel Football League
NY Times article
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/28/sports/28israelfootball.html#
“American Football Gains a Following in Israel” (December 2010)
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