 From Africa to Israel, these incredible people have come a long way. My name is India and today we are going to meet the Ethiopian Jews of Israel. You may have heard of the Ashkenazi Jews from Central and Eastern Europe or the Mizahid Jews from the Middle East. But have you heard of the Ethiopian Jews? The Jews of Ethiopia are known as Beta Israel. Most Ethiopian Jews first came to Israel under two major military rescue operations in the 1980s and 90s. They were called Operation Moses and Operation Solomon. In fact, Netflix even released a film called the Red Sea Diving Resort based specifically on Operation Moses. Under Israeli law of return, every Jew has the right to come to Israel as an immigrant. This is called Making Aliyah. So the mission of these military operations was to airlift as many Ethiopian Jews to Israel as possible to help them make Aliyah. With Jews facing major persecution in Ethiopia and in the war torn Sudan at the time, it was no easy task. But thankfully, many of them made it to Israel. And today, there are around 160,000 Ethiopian Jews in the country. They make up 1.7% of Israel's population. It may be a small portion, but their impact on Israeli society is quite large. They are involved in politics, they serve in the army, and they have a big influence on Israeli pop culture. In 2013, Titi Ayanao, an Ethiopian Jew, won Miss Israel, making her the first Black Miss Israel ever. And in 2020, Ethiopian singer Edyn Alena was chosen to represent Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest. However, the Ethiopians of Israel have also had many struggles with discrimination, with poverty, and with the police. In July of 2019, a young Ethiopian Jew was shot and killed by a police officer. This incited many protests in Israel, similar to the Black Lives Matter protests in the U.S. But despite the many challenges they face as a community, the Ethiopian Jews hope to preserve their heritage and share their culture with the world. That's why in Kiryat's gut in southern Israel, there is this Beta-Israel village. Here, they have mud buildings called Godjos, and plots of land for farming like they had in Ethiopia. Hello, my name is Giaulah Adarai, and I am an Ethiopian Jew. Today we are talking about Pekes Buna. Buna is an Ethiopian cafe. It's not just a restaurant, it's also a home for the family. The Ethiopians also have a passion for music and dance. It is still a huge part of their culture here in Israel. The Ethiopian Jews are brave people. Many of them escaped brutal persecution before coming to Israel, experiencing grief and the loss of family on their journey. Yet they remain resilient even today in their own struggles. The Ethiopian Jews carry a special joy in their heart, maybe because they are glad to be home. Their story should inspire us all. Thanks for watching, and I'll see you next time.