Federations launching $5.5 million campaign for Ethiopian aliyah

The Jewish Federations of North America is launching a $5.5 million fundraising campaign for Ethiopian immigration to Israel.

The campaign comes at the behest of the Israeli government, which agreed last November to bring up to 7,846 additional Ethiopians to Israel. Like Israel’s commitment, the federation’s campaign comes with an eye toward concluding mass Ethiopian aliyah; it’s called “Completing the Journey.”

The last federation fundraising drive for Ethiopian aliyah, launched in 2005 with a target of $100 million over five years, fell short of its goal.