Jews of Ethiopian descent plan state-of-the-art cultural and heritage center in Be’er Sheva

A community center which serves Israel’s second-largest community of Ethiopian Jews is set to get a much-needed upgrade, with plans to turn it into a state-of-the-art educational and heritage center, thanks to the generosity of Jewish National Fund–USA partners (donors).

Shavu Banim [The Sons Shall Return (to their borders)] Center was built for the 13,000-strong community by the Be’er Sheva Municipality in 1992, with the view for it to become their spiritual and cultural home. Over the years, despite the importance of the center, it has fallen into disrepair, and there has been no funding to do much needed renovations for the past 32 years.

Earlier this year, the municipality began to renovate, however, the plan ran into issues. This is where Jewish National Fund-USA came into the picture. Over the years, the organization has developed a relationship based on friendship and mutual collaboration with the young educator and trailblazer, Naftali Aklum, himself a member of the Beer Sheva Ethiopian Jewish community and a Jerusalem Post 25 Young ViZionaries awardee, who lobbies for their rights and shares their incredible culture to audiences across the world.

Naftali was born in Ethiopia in 1979, the youngest of 12 children, and made the long journey with his family to Israel, via Sudan, at the age of just 6 months. His oldest brother, Farede, a Mossad agent and 30 years’ Naftali’s senior, has been recognized as the mastermind behind the Aliyah of Ethiopia’s Jews in the late 1970’s, and his character was portrayed in the movie Red Sea Diving Resort.

Jewish National Fund-USA has been involved in several projects on behalf of Shavu Banim – from donating a Torah scroll to agricultural ventures. However, support of the cultural center has become Jewish National Fund-USA’s flagship project for the community and an important element of the organization’s efforts to attract 500,000 new residents to Israel’s south.

Naftali recalls how he sent an “SOS message” to Jewish National Fund-USA CEO, Russell F. Robinson, explaining the immediate need to upgrade the center which was literally falling apart.

“Within a few days, he rose to the occasion and pledged funds to complete the project,” he said. “It’s heartwarming to know that far off in the US, there’s an organization that cares enough for the wellbeing of our community.”

Avi Kalamaro, Jewish National Fund-USA project manager for the upgrade, explained that the organization has pledged half of the funds for the $400K project, while the municipality will give the other half. While most of the funds will be used towards the renovations, some will be used to employ full-time staff to maintain the building.

During a recent visit to Israel, Russell Robinson paid the center a visit to see how the renovations were progressing. The community is now waiting for the project to end, and for an official opening.

“Shavu Banim is not just a building – this is the heart and the soul of Beer Sheva’s Ethiopian Jewish community,” said Avi.

Shavu Banim Center has a large space that hosts all the community’s smachot – from Bar Mitzvahs to weddings. It has a synagogue, kindergarten, Kollel (Torah learning institute) and a day center for the community’s seniors who enjoy a hot meal, activities and much-needed daily interaction.  The center even has a community garden which grows traditional herbs and plants from Ethiopia.

Naftali said that some of the funds will be used towards their vision of turning Shavu Banim into a first-class heritage center which tells the story of the Aliyah of Ethiopia’s Jews.

“We have all the elements to turn this into a touristic-cultural venture,” he said. “We believe that 20,000 people could visit Shavu Banim each year, and we are working on building partnerships with organizations that bring visitors to Israel.  We foresee collaboration with Jewish National Fund-USA’s World Zionist Village. We plan to develop spaces dedicated to workshops, courses and educational content. We want to use interactive exhibitions and introduce state of the art multimedia features to create a unique visitors’ experience that tells the story of the Ethiopian Jewish community in the best way possible.”

Naftali also believes that Shavu Banim has all the makings of developing into an economic engine in the southern Negev, that can eventually stand on its own two feet.

“We don’t want to depend on donations forever,” he said. “There is a high potential to turn this into a profitable touristic venture.”

Naftali says that Ethiopian Jewry has an incredible story to tell – one that dates back 2,500 years.

“Zionism is the dream of every Jew to return to Zion,” he explained. “Some Jews came on planes, others by ships, and some, like the Ethiopians, came by walked thousands of miles by foot.”

“If you want to learn the Zionist story of the Ethiopian Jews, come and visit the Shavu Banim community center.”To support Jewish National Fund-USA’s work in Israel, visit jnf.org/donate

This article was written in cooperation with JNF-USA