Coping with Domestic Violence Against Women Among Ethiopian

Immigrants A Prevention Programme for Ethiopian Immigrants

Living in Absorption Centres

SPONSORING THE PROJECT Conflicts between couples and domestic violence are higher among Ethiopian immigrants than other immigrant populations. Keren Hayesod - UIA is seeking your support of AUD$15,000 to fund one domestic violence prevention seminar for 20 women and their spouses residing in absorption centres in Israel’s Southern city of Beer Sheva.

RECOGNITION In honour of your generosity, Keren Hayesod - UIA will present you with a report of the programme's impact made possible through your support.

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■ Bringing Home the Remaining Falash Mura to Israel

The origins of the Ethiopian Jews, or Beta Yisrael (House of Israel), are so ancient that they

are shrouded in myth. Although cut off from mainstream Jewry, they maintained a dream to

return to the Land of Israel. For centuries, they were persecuted by their Christian

neighbours, sold into slavery, forbidden to practice their religion, had their land confiscated,

and their religious books were burned. They settled in remote mountain regions to escape

persecution where they suffered from famine, the constant threat of war, forced conscription

at the age of 12, high infant mortality, poor health care and dreadful living conditions.

In 1977, the Government of Israel began to assist small numbers of Ethiopian Jews to reach

Israel, all through covert operations. Another 7,000 members of the community arrived during

Operation Moses in the winter of 1984–1985. Thousands of Ethiopian Jews trekked to

Sudan – risking attacks by robbers, hunger, thirst, disease and death – from where they

hoped to make their way to the Holy Land. Thousands died during the trek and never

reached the Promised Land.

In May 1991, Operation Solomon brought 14,325 members of Beta Yisrael to Israel in Israel’s

most dramatic 36-hour operation airlift. In the ensuing years, about 25,000 Ethiopian

immigrants, most of them Falash Mura – descendants of Jews who converted to Christianity

under duress – emigrated. .

In January 2005, the Government of Israel decided to bring the remaining 20,000 Ethiopian

Jews to Israel. Most of them had lost contact with their Judaism due to years of religious

persecution. The most recent completed operation was Wings of a Dove which brought a

total of 7,000 Ethiopian new immigrants.

■ Promoting Positive Healthy Family Relationships Among

Ethiopian Immigrants

Currently, 3,600 Ethiopian new immigrants, the majority of whom are Falash Mura, reside in

17 Jewish Agency absorption centres. These immigrants, mostly farmers from rural areas,

arrived in Israel after spending lengthy periods of up to seven years or more in Gondar.

Absorption centres serve as a transitional framework where immigrants are given the tools to

establish independent lives in Israel. Immigrants reside in absorption centres for eighteen

months to two years after which they move to permanent housing across the country.

The overnight transition from an agrarian, patriarchal society with well-defined family and

gender roles to a fast-paced, urban, industrialized culture has proved to be extremely

overwhelming for many Ethiopian immigrants, impeding their integration into Israel society.

For many, moving to Israel is a positive step that presents immigrants with new opportunities,

but it also entails several risk factors. Ethiopian immigrants are faced with unfamiliar norms

with regard to male versus female status in the family. The fast behavioural changes they are

required to undergo within a relatively short space of time, general confusion, and other

pressures imposed upon them (learning Hebrew, conversion processes, finding employment

and housing, children’s education, etc.), are all factors that contribute to conflicts and

outbursts of domestic violence. Some Ethiopian immigrant couples have a history of conflict

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even before they arrive in Israel. Other couples were separated but reunited for the purpose

of making Aliyah. There are also families who are the result of mixed marriages (Beta Israel

and Christians) and have no other relatives in Israel, which intensifies their sense of

loneliness and alienation and contributes to instability in the family unit.

In order to diminish such tensions, Keren Hayesod - UIA is a strategic partner in the Family

Relationship Programme for Ethiopian New Immigrants. Through the programme, both

women and men meet in separate groups consisting of bi-weekly meetings facilitated by an

Amharic speaking facilitator. Each seminar deals with instructing and educating Ethiopian

participants in the difference between codes and norms in Israeli and Ethiopian society,

information about Israeli Law and especially about learning ways how to negotiate and

resolve conflicts. For women that suffer from incidences of domestic violence, the

programme refers them to community shelters for battered women and/or involves the local

police to investigate.

■ Project Description

Since 2005, the Family Relationship Programme for New Immigrants has been operating in

absorption centres. The rationale behind the programme was to create a model that

combines culture-sensitive and universal approaches. The programme was developed by

Dr. Malka Shabtai and Varda Asha’el, a social worker and consists of 18 separate weekly

sessions for 20 men and 20 women conducted by Amharit-speaking facilitators. The sessions

deal with differences between social norms and codes in Israel and Ethiopia, information on

Israeli law, and specifically the use of negotiation skills to resolve conflicts between couples.

To date, 36 groups of men and women have participated in the programme.

As a result of the programme, there has been a drastic drop in couple conflicts in the

absorption centres where the programme has taken place. There has also been an

enthusiastic response from new immigrants who show a willingness to participate in a similar

programme. In the words of one woman who completed the programme: “Before the

programme we viewed life in Israel with one eye, but now we see everything with two

eyes.” A 40-hour training session was held for absorption centre staff to give them

professional tools to cope with family violence and to identify high-risk situations. The vast

knowledge acquired by the programme facilitators and their assistants also serves as a tool

for resolving conflicts among other immigrants in absorption centres who are not part of the

programme.

■ The Specific Family You Will Support (name changed to protect privacy)

The Vasala family immigrated to Israel from Ethiopia four years ago and was absorbed into

the Kalisher Absorption Centre in Beer Sheva, where they have been residing ever since.

The Vasala family consists of two parents and their three children: 14 years old Demaru, 10

years old Maru, and one younger sibling including a newborn baby. The family has many

problems and challenges including severe economic difficulties and domestic violence

instigated by the father who also suffers from a history of psychological problems and alcohol

abuse. At one point the father was even forcibly removed from the family’s residence due to

his violent outbursts. The children, especially the older children, suffer from many emotional

problems which translate into behavioural, social and scholastic deficits.