July 26, 2007 / 11 Av 5767

The Jewish Agency received the prestigious Roaring Lion award from the Israel Public Relations Association, recognizing its Ethiopian campaign as the best social action campaign of 2006. The campaign, designed to raise the public image of this community, included television and print ads highlighting successful Ethiopians working in the fields of medicine, law, academia and the military.

Abeinish Tasma, 25, graduated from Tel Aviv University and is now a lawyer representing Israel in advocacy activities abroad. Hers was just one of the Ethiopian immigrant success stories featured in the special publicity campaign marking the 30 year anniversary of Ethiopian immigration to Israel.

“This campaign was born from the alarming headlines we read about immigrants from Ethiopia and from the negative image the Ethiopian community is stuck with," said Jewish Agency spokesman Yarden Vatikay as he accepted the prize along with Director General Moshe Vigdor. "We tried to show the public another angle, to put a spotlight on success stories and young people. We showed the potential, the beauty of the culture and the determination to succeed, but at the same time we showed the many immigrants from Ethiopia who still work as security guards and cleaners."

Indeed, according to the Tebeka Center for Legal Aid and Advocacy for Ethiopian Jews, more than 60 percent of Ethiopians holding academic degrees are unable to find work in their fields. In a poll conducted for the Jewish Agency by the Geocartography Group, 49 percent of Israelis believed that Ethiopians with professional and academic qualifications only had a small chance of receiving positions in line with their qualifications, while 34 percent believed that Ethiopians with an academic degree have a good chance of integrating into Israeli society.

Run in conjunction with Israel's Ministry of Absorption, the award-winning campaign aimed at raising awareness of this vast untapped resource among potential employers. Vatikay said that there were a number of Ethiopians who received professional job offers as a result of the campaign.

In the last decades, tens of  thousands of Ethiopians have made aliyah but their full integration into Israeli society has been hindered by discrimination and negative stereotypes. The campaign resulted in positive reporting and news pieces about Ethiopian immigrants. A public opinion poll conducted towards the campaign's end showed an improvement in attitudes towards Ethiopians.

Additionally, the campaign helped to recruit 3,000 volunteers for the Jewish Agency's At Home Together initiative which matches new immigrants with veteran Israelis. 

 
Director General of the Jewish Agency, Moshe Vigdor (second from left) and spokesman Yarden Vatikay (second from right) accept the award for Best Social Action Campaign of 2006.