A MOST PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Operation Moses

NEALE KATZ, L.L.D. Director, Jerusalem Office, United Israel Appeal (Retired)

and IRVING KESSLER, M.S.W. Executive Vice Chairman Emeritus, United Israel Appeal

Operation Moses was an extraordinary rescue achieved by the Jewish world. Efforts by a combination of the Israeli and U.S. governments and Israeli and U.S.-based organizations resulted in this dramatic airlift of Ethiopian Jews to Israel. This article describes the critical role of the United Israel Appeal and the Jewish Agency in this effort

ommunity organization is difficult to Ethiopian Jews began then, prompted in part Cdefine with precision. Yet there is agree­ by die efforts ofthe recently formed American ment in the Jewish world that the basic work­ Association for Ethiopian Jewry (AAE J). The ing arrangement is a partnership between Chicago-based organization, founded by practitioner and volunteer. Rarely is the Graenam Berger, raised funds and national professional completely on his or her own or awareness of the plight of the Falashas. The authorized to function without significant lay issue soon found its way onto the agenda of participation and oversight (Goldman, 1981). the General Assembly ofthe Council of Jewish Operation Moses was a singular exception Federations (now the United Jewish Commu­ to this rule. nities—^UJC). The leadership of the North The first mass rescue movement of Ethio­ American Jewish community began to take the pian Jews to Israel required a high degree of issue seriously. secrecy. For that reason, the United Israel In Israel, Sephardic Chief Rabbi Ovadia Appeal (UIA) professionals in the United Yosef ruled that the Ethiopian Jews were States and Israel who helped in the planning descendants of the Tribe of Dan and therefore and execution of this difficult and clandestine entitled to live in Israel under the Law of transfer did so without the usual volunteer Retum. The Prime Minister's office for "se­ involvement. This is our story. cret aliyah activity" began a series of modest- scale rescue missions, which resulted in a BACKGROUND TO small but steady stream of Ethiopian Jews to OPERATION MOSES Israel. The Communist-led dictatorship in power History records that a Jewish Kingdom in Ethiopia at that time was determined to held sway in much of Ethiopia in the 13th stop any leave-takings and dealt harshly with Century. In later years, there were forced anyone caught or suspected of preparing to mass conversions, discrimination against the escape the country. Thus, the need for utmost survivors, and the application of the term secrecy(Gruber, I987;Kessler, I982;Leslau, "Falashas" (strangers) to those Jews remain­ 1951; Parfit, 1985). ing in isolated villages. Several events in the late 1970s dramatically altered the fate of our NEW YORK I (KESSLER) brethren in Africa, culminating in their exo­ dus from Ethiopia to a new beginning in Although UIA was criticized during the Eretz Yisrael. early 1970s for an apparent lack of interest in In America, agitation on behalf of the the fate of Ethiopian Jews, the truth was

98 Operation Moses / 99 different. In Israel for the lewish Agency Committee and State Department personnel. meetings, Melvin Dubinsky, past chairman Eizenstadt was obviously interested in this of UIA, and later Jerold Hoffberger, Chairman argument, so I continued. of the Board of Governors of the Jewish I suggested that President Carter could Agency, and I began regular meetings with the increase the resetdement activity by adding head of the Prime Minister's office that dealt two additional refugee groups: Ethiopian with "secret aliyah activity." There were peri­ Jews and the Iranian Jewish community. odic briefings about rescue attempts that were Eizenstadt quickly agreed, and promised to bringing small numbers of Ethiopian Jews to relay these suggestions. Both recommenda­ Israel. We were warned that open discussion tions were implemented by the Carter admin­ could cause lives to be lost. istration within a few months.

The Grant United Nations (UN) Refugee Camps

In 1972, the UIA was chosen to administer The situation changed dramatically in expenditures under the U.S. Grant for Rescue 1984, when Ethiopian Jews began arriving at and Resettlement in Israel of refugees from UN-run Refugee Camps on the border with the USSR and other Communist countries, Sudan. Thousands of men, women, and using the Jewish Agency as its operating children walked hundreds of hazardous miles agent. across the desert to get to the camps. The The Grant was administered by the Refu­ facilities offered relative safety for the Jews, gee Affairs Office of the U.S. Department of but at an enormous price—near-starvation, State. During President Carter's administra­ unsanitary conditions, and anti-Jewish don (1976-80), the Office became interested persecudon. in assisting refugees from other parts of the At this time—late in President Reagan's world who were "in search of their human first term—Eugene Douglas, a political ap­ rights." This new and expanded emphasis pointee, directed the U.S. Refugee Affairs gave reason to hope that the Grant and gov­ unit. His deputy director was a former Jewish enunental assistance could be used for Ethio­ communal service worker, Richard (Dick) pian Jews. Krieger. They had a significant interest in In 1979, Akiva Lewinsky, Treasurer of the our concems for the Ethiopians and our de­ Jewish Agency, and I met with Stuart sire to rescue our co-religionists. Eizenstadt, Jewish liaison in the Carter White Many Ethiopian Jews were affected by House, to discuss the Grant and other foreign various illnesses that swept through the camps policy issues that were being reshaped by in summer 1984. In response to our special worldwide events such as the upheaval in representation, the UN Refugee Affairs Unit Iran. (UNRA) dispatched a Swedish medical team During the meeting Eizenstadt was polite, to the camps, and many lives were saved. yet reserved—a very correct public servant. Israeli military persoimel were now—sur­ Lewinsky explained the work of the Jewish reptitiously and with great danger—spiriting Agency inside the Soviet Union and the pro­ small groups of Ethiopian Jews out of the cess of moving migrant families to Israel camps and to Israel. However, this small using a transit stop. He assured Eizenstadt trickle could not begin to relieve the pressures that the Grant was being used appropriately. building in the Sudan camps. The UN High I remarked that it was unfortunate that Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) wamed President Carter did not receive credit for of serious overcrowding and contagious ill­ these resettlement efforts. The Grant did not nesses. It was time to make a move. appear in the President's Budget, and all UIA In the fall of 1984, James Pureed, Director negotiations were handled through House for Refugee Affairs, U.S. Department of State,

WINTER 2000 Journal of Jewish Communal Service / 100 made a dramadc request: Would I join a "No problem. The funds will come from small plaiming group meeting in Geneva to UIA," I heard myself answer. discuss the fate of Ethiopian Jews in Sudan? I thought of a recent Board of Governors' I reluctantly demurred due to a health con­ meeting of the Jewish Agency where Max cem. I asked UIA Jerusalem Office Director, Fisher said that there should never be a situ­ Neale Katz, to undertake this critically im­ ation where Jews at risk would not be rescued portant assignment in my stead. due to lack of money. Somehow, I was convinced we would secure the necessary JERUSALEM AND GENEVA (KATZ) funding. The afternoon session was devoted to vari­ In October 1984,1 flew to Geneva, Swit­ ous technical details of the mission. Toward zerland with Yehuda Dominitz. Upon arrival the end of the meeting, we were told that the we met with Princeton Lyman, Director, East entire operation required the highest level of Africa Unit, U.S. Department of State; Rich­ secrecy. In fact, we were instructed not to use ard Krieger; and Jerry Weaver, U.S. State the telephone or telex to contact anyone not Department representative in Khartoum, already party to the rescue mission. Sudan for the past six years (Jerry Weaver's Therefore, in order to discuss the mission key role in described in Kaplan, 1994). and its funding with the appropriate persons Weaver, a former Ohio University football in New York and Zurich. I had to travel by player who received his doctorate in political plane immediately to both cities. On October science from UCLA, made a startling an­ 9th, 1984,1 arrived in New York and briefed nouncement. He had purchased and stored Harold Goldberg, UIA Comptroller. The 500 gallons of gasoline to fuel buses trans­ following day I discussed the mission with porting Ethiopian Jews from the UN refugee Jerold Hoffberger, Chairman of the Board of camps to waiting aircraft, which would fly Govemors of the Jewish Agency, and Irving them to Israel. Kessler. I then flew to Zurich to meet my The plan to rescue and transport Ethio­ colleagues intheU.S. State Department: Gene pian Jews to Israel, later code-named Opera­ Dewey, Deputy Director of the Bureau of tion Moses, was well developed. To become Refugee Programs, and Judy Chavchavadze operational required just an "OK" from the ofthe Bureau Staff overseeing the UIA grant. U.S. State Department, Israeli authorities, and the Intergovernmental Committee on NEW YORK II (KESSLER) Migration, according to Weaver. A second meeting was convened the fol­ Neale reported to me on the several deci­ lowing day. One person was added to the sions of the planning group. The UIA was to group—Efraim HaLevy, the Mossad's "point serve as "paymaster" for an airlift of all "Beta man" for the movement of Ethiopian Jews to Israel" in the UN-run refugee camps in the Israel. (HaLevy was later appointed Israeli Sudan, begirming in early November. The Ambassador to the European Community, refugees would be flown by Trans European and then served as Director of the Mossad.) Airways (headquartered in Brussels) from The morning segment ofthe meeting was Khartoum to an airfield in Europe, and then dominated by Weaver's detailed explanation on to Israel. of the proposed rescue and flight arrange­ UIA was committed to pay the airline for ments, as well as the methods to be used to each passenger via bank transfers from New identify the Jews in the refugee camps. To­ York to Brussels. At this point we did not ward the end of the discussion, someone know what the full magnitude of the airlift stated that the flights alone will cost about would be, how many flights would be re­ $12 million and asked, "How will we pay for quired, or what the cost per passenger would it?" All eyes turned toward me. be.

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Line of Credit Special Fundraising Effort

Neale, UIA Comptroller Harold Goldberg, Dulzin convened an emergency meeting of and I agreed that our first task was to secure UJA, UIA, and Zionist leadership as soon as a $5,000,000 line of credit, which could be we retumed to New York from the GA. The instantly utilized when required. Such a Chairman announced that the rescue effort for fmancial undertaking usually required orga­ Ethiopian Jews was at hand and demanded nizational process and significant volunteer that a special fund-raising campaign be involvement. However, we further agreed mounted immediately to pay the costs of the that the need for secrecy in Operation Moses undertaking. precluded this important lay-professional I argued against starting any fund-raising operational modality. campaign prior to the rescue effort, fearing We presented the issue to Irwin Field, UIA that the resulting publicity would negate the Chairman. Irwin courageously took full re­ secrecy required for the successful comple­ sponsibility for authorizing the securing of tion of the mission. I calculated that the the credit from our banks. Hal and I made rescue effort would take approximately three several phone calls and secured the needed months, and recommended that fundraising be credit, thanks to the very stiong reputation delayed until then. My concems were pushed UIA had developed in banking circles. We aside. were now able to send a signal to Washington Stanley Horowitz, then UJA President, and Jerusalem that the UIA was onboard and called a meeting of federation executives to ready to play its small but important role in enlist their support in the fundraising program. the operation. I did succeed in getting the group' s agreement to avoid using the media in their campaigns. General Assembly Nonetheless, within ten days, I was receiving numerous inquiries about the mission and the The next weeks leading up to the Novem­ fund-raising effort from various news organi­ ber 1984 General Assembly (GA) in Toronto zations. In response to their questions, I lied, brought us personal and professional agony. denying any knowledge of the plan or its The U.S. State Departinent contact informed financing. us that the first planes were about to leave the Sudan. We were greatly concerned about Operation Moses Begins maintaining secrecy and so were unable to respond to constant attacks by Canadian and The first planes carrying Ethiopian Jews U.S. pro-Ethiopian groups alleging inaction from refugee camps in the Sudan to freedom by UIA and the Jewish Agency. in Israel took off during Thanksgiving Day A special session on the Ethiopian situa­ Weekend, 1984. There was great relief and tion was held at the GA, featuring Eugene excitement at UIA headquarters when the Douglas, the political chairman of the Refu­ first manifest and request for payment ar­ gee Affairs Office of the State Department. rived. Yet, the star ofthe meeting turned out to be a Although I had asked repeatedly for rout­ young Beta Israel woman, brought to the ing information, such details were denied in conference by a Canadian group. She dra­ keeping with the need for maximum secrecy. matically charged the Jewish world with ne­ What was obvious from the manifest was the glect and indifference as her brethren died. large number of Beta Israel crammed into Official replies to the effect that "we are every available space on the Boeing 707s trying" were unconvincing. The session was being used to tiansport them to an undis­ a shambles. Leon Dulzin, then Chair of the closed location in Europe, and then on to Jewish Agency' s Executive, promised a quick Israel. rescue effort.

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NEW YORK AND JERUSALEM (KATZ easier for me to sit through the 1984 General AND KESSLER) Assembly while the Establishment was being attacked for inaction. I was forbidden to meet As the planes began to land in Israel, UIA the initial planeload of Ethiopian refugees at offices in Jerusalem and New York moved the Israeli airport later that month because quickly: checking flight manifests against Ephraim HaLevy of Israel's Intelligence Ser­ the count of Jewish agency personnel, com­ vice mistakenly thought that I worked for the piling statistics and preparing fiscal accounts UJA, which had already mounted its fund- for U.S. Govemment Refugee Grant Reports, raising drive in the United States. Mean­ and assisting at the reception center in while the UJA Campaign Chair received per­ Ashkelon. mission from the Prime Minister's Office to Information from both the Israeli Aliyah lead a group of "Campaign Givers" in greet­ and Youth Aliyah Departments was assembled ing this first planeload. during subsequent months, and reported at A few years later I leamed that Jerry die CJF Spring 1985 Quarterly Meeting. We Weaver, who designed and directed every reported that the Jewish Agency had received detail of the rescue in the Sudan at great risk 14,354 Ethiopian Jews in the past twelve to himself, had been separated "under a cloud" months, 70 percent of whom arrived from from the U.S. Foreign Service. No one had as December 1984 to March 1985. Amigour, yet recognized his achievements on behalf of the JAFI Housing Management Company, our people. With the help of a few generous assigned more than 400 apartments to house friends in 1994,1 invited him to visit Israel as the Ethiopian families in the same period. our honored guest. One of our first stops was a Youth Aliyah A Dramatic Conclusion Village where a group of Ethiopian children A dramatic conclusion to the rescue of were students. Some reported that they had Ethiopian Jews came in March 1985. Then passed through the camps, Tawawa and Umel U.S. Vice President George Bush, using the Rekuba. Jerrry asked how they traveled from prestige of President Ronald Reagan, de­ the camp to the airfield. One of the girls manded transfer to Israel of the 800 Beta replied, "On a bus, kind of a truck with Israel who remained stranded in the Sudan. If benches." Jerry laughed as he recalled that the Sudanese govemment agreed. Bush was after he received the go-ahead, he visited prepared to un-freeze a major U.S. aid grant Saudi Arabia and purchased four tmcks, which to that country. Sudan's President Neimiri were shipped to Khartoum. There he hired an approved of the movement, insisting how­ ironmonger to build the benches used by ever that no Israelis be involved in the pro­ these girls. cess. Since this Israel trip where he met Irving In a one-day operation in late March, U.S. Kessler as well, I have heard from Weaver a Air Corps transports evacuated the remain­ number of times; most recently he noted an ing Beta Israel, flying them directly to Israel. interest in producing a television show Neither the UIA nor the Jewish community based on his Sudan adventures. It is obvious was asked for financial reimbursement. that his pride in this achievement is some Bush's courageous actions never received the compensation for difficuhies he experienced public recognition they deserved. His close afterward. friend. Max Fisher, describes Bush's role in Similarly, Yehuda Dominitz, who designed his biography (Golden, 1992). and directed the Israeli and Jewish Agency roles in Operation Moses, shares his memo­ REFLECTIONS (KATZ) ries frequendy. He remains stiangely silent, however, about unfair accusations that he The Geneva meetings impressed on me caused the news leak about Operation Moses, the need for absolute secrecy, which made it

WINTER 2000 Operation Moses / 103 which stranded hundreds of refugees in their chairman and the executive vice chairman. The camps. Our common compensation truly trusting relationship also extended to the comes from the successful movement of our members of the UIA Board ofDirectors, who brethren to Israel during the years that fol­ only received a broad report on staff involve­ lowed. Almost a decade later Operation ment in Operation Moses when Neale Katz Solomon left only a few behind. Today I reported on the details six months later. encounter Israelis bom in Ethiopia in every Many in the American Jewish community level of Israeh society, andljoin them in their received public recognition for their roles in efforts to rescue close relatives who had pre­ the successful transfer of Ethiopian Jews to viously converted to Christianity. Israel. However, my colleagues, Neale Katz and Yehuda Dominitz, garnered no acco­ reflections (kessler) lades for their seminal contribution to the operation. Overlooked as well were Jerry Operation Moses showed clearly that large- Weaver, Eugene Douglas, and James Purcell. scale fundraising is incompatible with maxi­ It is hoped that with the publication of this mum secrecy, that an honest, trusting rela­ article they will receive the recognition so tionship between volunteer leadership and long denied. professionals is a highly valuable asset when decisions must be made without lay input, and that not all those instrumental in a suc­ references cessful project receive the recognition they Golden, Peter. (1992). Quiet diplomat—a biog­ deserve. raphy. Cranbury, NJ: Associated Univer­ Operation Moses confirmed that large sums sity Presses. of money cannot be raised and still maintain Goldman, Ralph. (1981). The role of the profes­ a high degree of secrecy. Federations and sional in developing and shaping Jewish Keren Hayesod, ignoring UIA requests, communal policies and strategies. Jerusa­ printed public notices and held public gather­ lem: Intemational Conference of Jewish ings as part of their fundraising efforts. Communal Service. We were informed in early January 1985 Gruber, Ruth. (1987). Rescue. New York: that the Sudanese govemment had curtailed Atheneum. all flights following Israeli Prime Minister Kaplan, Robert D. (1992). The Arabists. New Shimon Peres' authorized acknowledgment York: Free Press. ofthe operation after it became public knowl­ Kessler, David. (1982). The Falashas: The edge, due in large part to the publicity sur­ forgotten Jews of Ethiopia. London: Frank rounding the fundraising. Cass Publications. Much of the work undertaken by the UIA Leslau, W. (1951). Falasha anthology. New staff with respect to Operation Moses was Haven: Yale University Press. done without lay knowledge or involvement. Parfit, Tudor. (1985). Operation Moses. Lon­ Such an unusual breaching of the lay-profes­ don: Weidenfeld and Nicolson. sional relationship was made possible by the Stock, Ernest. (1987). Partners andpursestrings. trusting and positive relationship buih up over New York: University Press of America. a long period of time between the agency

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