Adult Programs

Hebrew Literacy for Ethiopian-Israeli Women (Milah Tovah) Since arriving in Israel over a decade ago, Ethiopian immigrants have faced numerous challenges integrating into Israeli society. For many Ethiopian-Israeli adults, the difficulties involved in adjusting to and integrating into a new culture are compounded by the fact that they do not speak, let alone read and write, Hebrew. As a result of these language difficulties and other integration problems, 60 percent of Ethiopian-Israeli families with children have no breadwinner and approximately 30 percent of Ethiopian-Israelis with jobs are employed in menial and poorly paid positions.

The Milah Tovah Hebrew literacy program enables Ethiopian-Israeli adults to improve their oral and written communication skills by focusing on topics relevant to their lives as parents, adults, and immigrants. Specially trained teachers lead classes and workshops that focus on useful Hebrew language skills that will be helpful in the students’ day-to-day tasks. The Milah Tovah classes teach Hebrew in a creative manner, emphasizing basic conversation, reading, and writing skills. Many classes rely on the use of materials relevant to the early childhood experiences of their children and cover subjects related to parenting skills and child development, such as parenting dilemmas and how to read letters sent home from school. Yet Milah Tovah also recognizes that parents have a life independent of their children. Thus, some classes focus on the parents’ own integration difficulties and the generation gap that many immigrant families are currently experiencing.

The Woman of Valor Employment Program (Eshet Chayil) seeks to combat the problems that keep Ethiopian-Israeli women out of the workforce and promote employment. The Eshet Chayil program operates in three stages: workshops that prepare women to enter the workforce; the Eshet Chayil Club, which offers support to employed women; and the Employment Leadership Group which works with women who are potential leaders in their community. Ethiopian-Israeli women participate regularly in a three-month job preparation workshop that addresses issues such as psychological readiness for work, family adjustment, and interview skills. They then set out to find employment with the help of a professional coordinator. Eshet Chayil integrates these immigrants into the Israeli workforce and strives to develop a cadre of Ethiopian-Israeli women who will be in a position to lead their community into the future. The counterpart program for men, Avi Chayil, serves men in four communities, teaching occupational Hebrew and adaptation to Israeli society.

Small Business Development Centers (MATI) is a national network of small business development centers open to all, but with a special emphasis on the needs of vulnerable immigrant population groups, including Ethiopian-Israelis. MATI centers provide aspiring entrepreneurs with a local address for assistance by providing help and guidance during the formative stage of the business and in the development of the business plan; strengthening business management skills through special training programs; lending support during the application process for small business loans and offering professional guidance to the business and monitoring its progress. There are currently 25 MATI centers located around Israel, through which approximately 100,000 entrepreneurs have already been processed. Over 40,000 entrepreneurs who have already established businesses continue to receive technical advice, and more than 120,000 new jobs have been created. The MATI center in Netanya provides special support and consultation to new immigrant Ethiopians that face difficulties in opening a new business in Israel.