NACOEJ - North American Conference on Ethiopian Jewry

FOOD & EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN ETHIOPIA
NACOEJ, founded in 1982, has long been responsible for rescue and relief services for the Jews of Ethiopia. In Ethiopia, NACOEJ is the sole support of compounds which daily provide thousands of meals to babies and children, schooling for students in K-8, adult education, employment programs, monthly community food distributions, and religious facilities.
NACOEJ Funded Compounds in Gondar Province
The compound has its own democratically elected leadership committee. NACOEJ funds all operations.

No programs are functioning at present in Addis Ababa. In Gondar, where the great majority of Jews live, all programs are fully functional.

Feeding Programs

Feeding Center Program for Children Under Age 6 & Pregnant and Nursing Mothers
The Feeding Center in Gondar is open six days a week. Adults—usually mothers—bring children under age six to the center, sometimes walking for up to four hours to complete two round trips. Each child receives half-ounce servings of eggs with oil and iodized salt (essential to warding off iodine deficiency, a common problem among Ethiopians), fafa cereal; grated carrots; mashed bananas; mashed potatoes or beans; avocado; collard greens (gomen); and oranges or bananas. Pregnant women and nursing mothers receive the same menu, as well as a bread roll. Take-home dried beans are provided to help ensure an evening meal for the child and the rest of the family.

Lunch Program for School Children
For most of these children this is their only significant source of nutrition. NACOEJ provides each child with lunch, six days a week. Sponsor a child’s lunch: $72 sponsors a child’s lunch for the whole year! Click here to download the Lunch Program flyer.

Bean and/or Grain Distribution
Monthly distributions of beans and/or grain are distributed to community members according to family size.

Donate to the NACOEJ Feeding programs

Health & Education

Nurses
The compound nurse sees each child every two weeks (more frequently if the child is ill), and measures height and weight. If the child is sick or severely malnourished, the child receives a slip to take to the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee medical clinic. The nurse also teaches hygiene and child-care classes for parents.

School
The school in Gondar serves 1st through 8th grade. Although the school was already filled to capacity, in 2004 we had to add another 1000 children, all eligible for aliyah. As a result, the school is now on triple session.

High School: We pay all fees and transportation for students who gain admission to a local high school.

Library
A compound library contains hundreds of books in Amharic (bought), English and Hebrew (donated and shipped by the American donors). Children use these libraries to do homework and to read for pleasure.

Adult Education
Previous attempts at literacy programs did not work, so material is taught orally (those participants who can write, do). Educated community members teach Bible stories, religious customs, Jewish history, and Israeli culture. Before Passover and Rosh Hashana we send educated Ethiopian-Israelis to Ethiopia to teach the adults about the holidays, conduct holiday services, and teach the regular teachers.

Employment

NACOEJ funds a variety of jobs for community members, including guards, maintenance workers , cooks, servers, builders, clean-up crew, teachers, and others, gainfully employing hundreds of people each year.
In Addis, we also housed a needleworkers’ co-op (now closed), giving the workers space to work and contracting with them for a certain number of embroideries per month. In addition, employment was given to community members who purchased materials, sewed the backings, laundered and packed the embroideries (over 700 people). Our goal was to provide work to one family member in each household.

Religious and Cultural Facilities

Synagogue
The compound houses a synagogue, with two Torahs, kiddush cups, an ark, bima, menorah, siddurs, tefillin and tallitot. Services take place three times daily during the week, on Shabbat and all Jewish holidays. Yom Haatzmaut (Israel Independence Day) is also celebrated. There are children’s Shabbat services and classes, and Shabbat afternoon Jewish cultural activities.
We also facilitate a weekly distribution of Shabbat candles to families, and house a mikvah (ritual bath).

Matzah-Baking Factory
About 170,000 matzot are baked on the compound grounds before each Passover!