There are approximately 5,500 Ethiopian immigrants currently living in 16 absorption centers throughout Israel. Of these, some 2,000 children and youth are taking part in YESODOT/Foundations programs, all through designated funding. The period spent at the absorption center offers the young immigrants a valuable window of opportunity for their advancement. Professional teachers and instructors provide them with daily afternoon tutoring in all subjects, focusing on Hebrew reading and writing, math, and English.

The children enjoy a variety of indoor and outdoor games, take part in story hour and in a wide variety of social and cultural activities. Occasionally, special enrichment activities are held, such as plays, performances, field trips, or outings to the pool.

The Jewish Agency for Israel 's YESODOT (Heb: Foundations) program helps Ethiopian youngsters, from pre-school through 12th grade, achieve new levels of personal and academic success through education and social intervention.

Described below are the five major Yesodot programs:

1. Preparation for First Grade (ages 5-6)

   Ethiopian children arrive in Israel with minimal schooling, and no experience with a structured preschool, a concept that does not exist in Ethiopia. Their environments lack stimulation, and their cognitive and motor development skills are not on par with Israeli children their age. The goal of this project is to prepare kindergarten age children for school in the best possible way. The children participate in classes twice a week, in groups of 10-15 children, led by a kindergarten teacher.

   Classes focus on a wide range of areas including: cutting and coloring for fine motor coordination, numbers, vocabulary, learning letters, words and phonology, and more. Learning is done via games, art, sports and group activities. In addition, children and parents participate in a course entitled, “Challenges”, a computerized course that focuses on preparing these children for the first grade. This course, consisting of 25 sessions, offers joint activities for parents and children, to strengthen family ties and parental authority.

2. Matzofim – Promoting Excellence and Bridging Gaps

   This past year, a complementary center was established in the absorption centers, offering the children afternoon enrichment lessons, twice a week in Hebrew and math. The educational staff prepares a tailor-made program for each child, to enable them to reach their grade level in these subjects.

3. Tutors

   Every afternoon, a team of tutors at the absorption centers assists the children with their homework, and organizes social and educational activities for them. The tutors, who accompany the children in these different activities, serve as supportive role models for the children. Following the importance of the tutors to the children's everyday lives, we will focus on training the tutors to become cultural mediators, who will assist the children to develop their social skills.

4. Bar/Bat Mitzvah Program

   Ethiopian families learn Judaism in an intensive program that accompanies their conversion process. The program, which is spread over several months, emphasizes the bar/bat mitzvah ceremony and includes Jewish learning as well as community commitment and volunteering. During this year, children gain experience in communal involvement, participate in pre bar/bat mitzvah programs, and the boys learn how to don tefillin, as well as get called up to the Torah in a family celebration at the Western Wall in Jerusalem.

5. Summer Camps

   Every summer, the Jewish Agency summer camps offer Ethiopian children aged 4-18 living in absorption centers throughout Israel an opportunity to acquire and develop learning skills that are necessary for their success at school. During the summer, the children have no organized framework. In the mornings, their parents study Hebrew at the ulpan. The children remain alone, without adult supervision. This situation may lead to negative behavior and expose the children to many dangers. Therefore, great efforts are made to send the children to summer camps.

   These summer camps operate for 7 weeks, 5 hours every day. Each age group has a suitable activity program, which emphasizes educational advancement. Studies are led by professional teachers in the various fields, and the children are aided by computer programs and workbooks. Other activities include classes in the arts, music, science, sports, as well as outings to plays and field trips.

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Alongside these key programs, additional enrichment activities help to strengthen the children's Hebrew skills and expose them to school-related subjects:

• My First Library

  A project to encourage reading among the children and parents in the absorption centers. The children enjoy book readings during story hour, where they are introduced to classic Israeli literature. At the end of the project, each family receives a gift of 10 books, to start their new library at home.

• My Toy Box

  A project to strengthen family ties during the inter-cultural transition experienced by the Ethiopian families. The project includes guided activities for the parents and children and ideas for games they can play together. Each family receives games to play at home.

• Extra-curricular activities

  The children take part in a wide variety of afternoon classes, including: the arts, sports, dance, martial arts and music.