By Staff Writers

And from the South do not hold them back — Isaiah 43:6

God promised to gather His children from the four corners of the earth. Today, we look at the ICEJ’s work in supporting Aliyah from the South—both from Ethiopia and South Africa.

Ethiopian Aliyah: A Dream Fulfilled

In 1991, political upheaval in Ethiopia opened a door for one of the most dramatic returns in modern Jewish history: Operation Solomon. In just 36 hours, nearly 15,000 Ethiopian Jews were airlifted to Israel.

The ICEJ responded immediately by launching a fast-track medical integration program. When many new immigrants were found to be suffering from leprosy and other serious conditions, Israel’s Foreign Ministry asked if we could find an Amharic-speaking doctor. Dr. Campbell Millar and his wife Fern, who had served for years as medical missionaries in Ethiopia, joined our staff to treat patients. The Finnish Parliament also donated a mobile medical clinic, which was used for the next decade to serve the Ethiopian Jewish community.

For generations, Ethiopian Jews held fast to the dream of returning to Zion. Since Israel’s 2015 decision to resume this historic Aliyah, the ICEJ has been a steadfast partner in making that dream a reality.

Our mission is twofold: to bring them home, and to help them thrive.

We fulfil the first by funding Aliyah flights, sponsoring over 3,000 Ethiopian Jews since 2015—roughly half of all arrivals. This includes urgent rescue flights from conflict zones such as Gondar. In partnership with the Jewish Agency for Israel, we reunite families after decades of separation.

Once in Israel, we support their critical first steps through initial absorption costs and essential programs:

• Hebrew language classes (Ulpan) for adults
• Educational support for children and fast-track high school programs for youth
• Cultural immersion, including visits to Jerusalem and the Western Wall
• Practical workshops on health, safety and navigating life in Israel

In times of crisis, such as the war that began in October 2023, we provided emergency evacuation, shelter, food and even trauma counselling for hundreds of new Ethiopian immigrants.

This work, according to the biblical call to “comfort Zion” (Isaiah 40:1), is made possible by the generous support of Christians worldwide. Together, we are not only enabling a journey home—we are helping write new chapters of hope, family and faith in the Land of Israel.

South African Aliyah: Choosing Zion

A steady and important Aliyah is underway from South Africa to Israel. This movement is driven not by sudden war, but by a gradual convergence of pressures—economic stagnation, societal instability and a growing sense of vulnerability for the Jewish community. Since 2008, ICEJ has been actively involved in this homecoming, providing practical support as part of prophetic fulfilment.

The ICEJ’s Aliyah work in South Africa began in the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis under the pioneering leadership of our outstanding South African National Director, Johan Greeff. Recognising both need and opportunity as the South African rand faltered, he raised a major foundational donation from ICEJ to initiate a special Jewish Agency Aliyah program and helped sponsor flights for 65 Olim.

That channel of blessing has remained open through successive waves of challenge. Since 2021, under the capable direction of his daughter, Vivienne Myburgh, the ICEJ-South African branch has diligently continued this mission. Through years of severe electrical load-shedding, civil unrest and a distressing rise in antisemitic rhetoric after October 2023, ICEJ has sponsored flights for hundreds more.

This Aliyah is distinctive, mainly comprising skilled, educated families making a deliberate choice for a secure Jewish future. They are not refugees fleeing overnight, but pioneers coming to Zion.

The resilience of South African Jewry is remarkable, yet the push factors remain strong. The need for our support continues. We are committed to walking with them, ensuring that for every family that decides the time has come, the journey home will be within reach. This is Aliyah in action—and it is our privilege to help pave the way.

Please continue to support the ICEJ’s Aliyah efforts by giving today at: help.icej.org/aliyah