Pioneer Women/Na’amat has transmitted a special grant of $200,000 for newly-arrived Ethiopian Jews, it was announced by Phyllis Sutker, national president. The funds were allocated in response to information recently make public by Na’amat-Pioneer Women officials in Israel regarding the major role of the organization in absorbing Ethiopian Jews.
Some 800 Ethiopian children are currently enrolled in day care centers under the sponsorship of Na’amat-Pioneer Women, according to Masha Lubelsky, secretary-general.
She explained: “The daily play activities and interaction with Israeli children are a primary means for transmitting the new language and customs to the small immigrants, while freeing their parents to study in Hebrew ulpan courses and vocational training programs.”
Half of the $200,000 grant has been allocated by Pioneer Women/Na’amat’s Golda Meir Child Development Fund, which will provide the special pedagogical training and tools to successfully absorb the Ethiopian immigrants.
It was also announced that Na’amat-Pioneer Women volunteers — a national network of thousands of women and teenagers — are dedicating their activities in the coming year to work with Ethiopian families. At 30 Na’amat-Pioneer Women branches throughout the country, staff and volunteers are providing essential services to Ethiopian families, easing their adjustment to Israeli society.
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