Dr. Avraham Neguise, a member of Israel’s 20th Knesset who also serves as chairman of the Immigration, Absorption and Diaspora Affairs Committee, will bring his unique perspective as an Ethiopian Israeli to the greater Middlesex and Monmouth county communities from May 10 to May 15.

Neguise will first speak on Thursday, May 12, at 7 p.m. at Congregation B’nai Israel in Rumson. On motzei Shabbat, Saturday, May 14, he will address an audience at 9:45 at the Young Israel of East Brunswick. The following morning, Sunday, May 15, at 9:30, Neguise will speak at an Orthodox Forum at Ahavas Achim in Highland Park. His additional speaking engagements will extend to members of the Jewish and non-Jewish community, including a local chapter of the NAACP and legislators on the state and federal level. Additionally, Neguise will participate in a special ceremony marking Israel’s Independence Day.

Born in Ethiopia, where he worked as a shepherd, Neguise immigrated to Israel in 1985. He earned a BA and MA in social work from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, an LLB from Sha’arei Mishpat College, an MA in Initiatives and Renewal from the Swinburne University of Technology and a PhD in Education from the University of Sussex.

Neguise founded and served as Director-General of South Wing to Zion, where he represented Ethiopian immigrants, and he is known for leading initiatives to bring other Ethiopian Jews to Israel. He was a co-founder of the Ethiopian National Project (ENP), a partnership between the Government of Israel, Diaspora Jewry and the Ethiopian-Israeli community that promotes successful integration of Ethiopian Jews through education, risk-prevention and empowerment programs. As a Member of the Knesset, he focuses on social issues, including helping new immigrants integrate into Israeli society and providing support and education for youth in underprivileged neighborhoods.

Rabbi Jay Weinstein, Rabbi at the Young Israel of East Brunswick and President of the Rabbinic Association in the Heart of NJ, organized and planned Dr. Neguise’s trip. “I hope to inspire our community by hearing the incredible opportunities that Israel affords to people of all backgrounds,” said Weinstein. “We don’t often hear about the diversity in population of the citizens of the State of Israel. This is a chance to meet a leader and hero of the Ethiopian-Israeli community with a truly remarkable story which speaks so strongly to the core of the Jewish people and the State of Israel.”

This trip is funded by a grant from the Jewish Federation in the Heart of New Jersey.