One way our Federation helps new Ethiopian immigrants in the absorption process is through the Parents and Children Together (PACT) program, which we fund in Beit Shemesh, Israel.

 
Beit Shemesh, a small city located between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, is presently home to 2,500 Ethiopian-Israelis, most of whom are struggling with Hebrew illiteracy. Ninety percent of these Ethiopians were farmers living in tribal villages; books, reading, parochial learning are all totally foreign to them. And unlike most other new immigrants who are literate in their own respective language before they start learning Hebrew, most arriving Ethiopians cannot read or write in any language, including their native Amharek. The vast majority of educational observers in the country agree that without intervention, Ethiopian children will fall far behind their native Israeli counterparts.

PACT was started in order to begin intervening when children are three months old and stay with them until first grade in order to ensure that the youngsters stay on par with native Israelis. The classroom size is small on purpose; there are enhanced reading, logic and skills sessions; the children work one-on-one at least once a week with their teacher; and social workers are tracking their progress on a regular basis.

PACT also focuses on home intervention. This includes workshops for parents to help them understand what their kids are facing in school and Amharek-speaking liaisons who help bridge the cultural and linguistic gaps.