Spotlight on CLAL
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Rabbi Brad Hirschfield Leads Mission to Ethiopia and Israel
In March, CLAL President
Rabbi Brad Hirschfield traveled to Ethiopia and Israel in his ongoing role
as Scholar-in-Residence for UJC’s Flight Initiative, which is designed to
inspire the next generation of major Jewish philanthropists. The trip, which
included escorting 53 Falas Mura, Ethiopians of Jewish origin, to their new
homes in Israel began in Tel Aviv, continued to Gondar Province, then on to
Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital. From there, both the mission
participants and the new immigrants returned to Israel, spending Shabbat in
Jerusalem, and a day on Israel’s northern border.
“It is not a coincidence that this mission occurred just before Passover,”
said Rabbi Hirschfield. “We have rehearsed for 3,000 years to be able to do
this. None of us has a right to eat matzah and talk about liberation if we
have passed over the opportunity to liberate our own brothers and sisters.”
The mission provided an opportunity for the next generation of key figures
in Jewish life to explore first-hand how they could make a difference in
improving the lives of the most vulnerable, and to meld the gift of
peoplehood with philanthropy. It also helped group members to expand their
understanding of the Jewish people, and to find a meaningful place for
themselves in Jewish life.
The Flight Initiative is the third part of a UJC next generation program for
building leadership. The program addresses the need for fresh thinking and
new experiences for an emerging generation of major philanthropists.
Recognizing CLAL as the place for innovative ideas and approaches, the UJC
approached Rabbi Hirschfield to participate.
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