About almaya.org.il

ALMAYA project originated as a Community and Educational Projectin Israel, and was  established  in 1985 in Beer-Sheva city , Israel. ALMAYAe project began just after Operation Moses which was the first  wave of immigration of 8,000 people of Beta-Israel, the  Jewish community that lived in Ethiopia, to Israel. It was  a small, religious community of  farmers from the Ethiopian Highlands that had little exposure to Western industrial society.  these people suffered  traumatic migrations by foot during a civil war in Ethiopia and thay had to stay in refugee camps in Sudan. Social and cultural dislocation resulted from these situations. Having this background the absorption of the immigrants in Israel presented a few challenges. After a while some families moved from protective immigrant  centers to permanent housing in  Israeli cities. But it was not easy: The cultural shock  both the newcomers and for the absorbing society was intense.