Beth Israel of North America

BINA, meaning “knowledge and understanding” in Hebrew, also stands for Beth Israel of North America, an organization created by Ethiopian Jews for Ethiopian Jews. While more than 90,000 of the Beth Israel fled to Israel in 1991 via an Israeli military campaign called Operation Solomon, many have also settled in Florida, Los Angeles, New York and Washington, D.C. 

Multifaceted in its goals, BINA strives to meet the needs of the Ethiopian community in New York, ensure the preservation of their culture and history, and promote cooperation between Jews of color and the larger Jewish community. Housed at Bikkurim, a non- profit incubator in New York, BINA is receiving organizational development support to build capacity and further achieve its goals. 

Though still small in scale, BINA reflects the growing presence of Ethiopian Jews in the United States and the leadership within the Beth Israel community that exemplifies their determination to persevere. While previous efforts rescued the Ethiopian Jews, the opportunity now exists to count them among the North American Jewish community. Through BINA, we can not only assist the Beth Israel but also benefit from learning about their unique artistic and spiritual culture and history.