AACI Kosher Ethiopia
March 16–26, 2025
Ethiopia, which traces its roots back 4,000 years ago to the Queen of Sheba, has the ability to wow you every day.
This is a land of breathtaking natural wonders, ancient and vibrant urban centers, an agreeable climate and friendly people. Above all – the Jewish history of Ethiopia.
Our itinerary offers a unique look at the history and current lifestyle of the Jewish diaspora in Ethiopia. The Jewish community in Ethiopia, the Beta Israel, has existed for at least 15 centuries. Learn the secrets of 2000 years of Jewish survival, the complex relationship between Jews and Christians, and the immigration of 90,000 Ethiopians to Israel. Explore the remnants of two millennia of Jewish life in Gondar, in homes, schools, and synagogues. Experience a traditional synagogue at the Jewish community in Addis Ababa.
We make our way from the buzzing cities like Addis Ababa to the relaxing town of Bahir Dar on the unspoiled shore of Lake Tana through the sun-drenched country, spotting lush fauna and migratory birds on the way. Time seems to have stood still in the archaeological sites of Gondar and Axum, where we visit legendary sites.
Day 1 – Sunday, March 16, 2025 – Addis Ababa
Arrive in Addis Ababa early in the morning where we will make our way to the hotel for davening and breakfast.
We begin our tour with a visit to the National Museum which is a repository of the country’s cultural, historical, and archaeological treasures. It is also recognized for housing significant paleoanthropological exhibits. From here we will travel To Intoto hills the highest point in Addis Aabab that overlooks the capital.
Our next visit is to the King Menelik Palace at Unity Park. The Menelik Palace, also known as the Imperial Palace or Great Ghebbi, is a palatial compound in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Previously for years was known as the Gebbi, it was the seat of the power of the Emperors of Ethiopia. Within its confines (now called Unity Park) are several residences, halls, chapels, and working buildings. Today it contains the offices and residence of the Prime Minister of Ethiopia.
Dinner will be at Chabad.
Day 2 – Monday, March 17, 2025 – Addis Ababa
After Tefilla and breakfast we will visit the Jewish community of Addis Ababa to meet the leaders and youth and learn about their lives and desires. We will visit Adeny Synagogue of the Jewish community that arrived from Aden in the 1940s
Later we will participate in a traditional coffee ceremony which is a core cultural custom in Ethiopia and Eritrea. There is a routine of serving coffee daily, mainly for the purpose of getting together with relatives, neighbors, or other visitors.
Ethiopia is known as the birthplace of coffee — the coffee plant, coffea arabica, is native to the country’s southwestern plateaus. Coffee is also central to Ethiopia’s culture and its economy. Beans grown in its fertile soil account for about 17% of the global coffee market and have long set the standard for quality coffee
Dinner at Chabad followed by an evening folklore show.
Day 3 & Day 4 – Tuesday, March 18 & Wednesday, March 19, 2025
After Tefilla and breakfast we will fly to Arba Minch for 2 days of activity.
Visits include the Dore Village (Dorze tribe). The Dorze tribe is a small community primarily residing in a village located in close proximity to the city of Arbaminch, Ethiopia. Situated in a mountainous region, the Dorze Village can be reached within an hour’s drive from Arbaminch. It is believed that the Dorze originally originated from the Gamo highlands and are considered to be closely related to the Gamo tribe. The estimated population of the Dorze tribe is approximately 15,000 individuals. Many Dorze individuals engage in Waver as their primary occupation. The traditional textiles produced by the Dorze are renowned for their vibrant colors and are considered to be of the highest quality in Ethiopia. The Dorze people are well-known for their exceptional weaving skills and their unique huts, which is shaped like elephants and constructed using bamboo.
Enset – is a based agriculture is an indigenous sustainable farming system in Ethiopia that feeds over 20 million people. About 700 years ago, with the coming of domesticated livestock, a settled culture evolved around the use of Enset products as a major and co-staple food. Today over 4 million people in Southern and South-Western Ethiopia depend on Enset foods but it is not widely grown or consumed any other place in the world.
Additional visits to the local market, folklore dance show. Enjoy Lake Chamo where we will see hippos, crocodiles believed to be the biggest in Africa.
We will also have a walk around the Araba Minch Forest with Forty springs.
Day 5 – Thursday, March 20, 2025 – Gondar
After Tefilla and breakfast at the hotel, we will take an early morning flight to Gondar via Addis Ababa. Upon arrival we will meet members of the local Jewish community in Gondar and listen to their fascinating stories.
Thereafter, we’ll drive to the village of Veleka, also called Falasha to see an old, deserted synagogue built in 1942 after the local Jews were airlifted to Israel.
Then on to the Jewish Agency Center and handicraft center to view local arts and crafts.
Check-in and dinner at our hotel.
Day 6 – Friday, March 21, 2025 – Gondar
After Tefilla and breakfast we will take a drive from Gondar to Debark to begin our Simien Mountain Park tour. Simien Mountains National Park is in northern Ethiopia. Its rugged terrain includes escarpments, deep valleys and a high plateau, home to rare Walia ibex and Gelada baboons. Tall peaks include the towering Ras Dashen mountain. Trails wind through the park to camps at Sankaber, Geech and Chenek. The central Gidir Got and Imet Gogo summit lookouts have panoramic views of sheer cliffs and the lowlands below.
After this exhilarating visit, we will make our return journey back to Gondar to prepare for Shabbat. Kabbalat Shabbat and dinner at the hotel.
Day 7 – Shabbat, March 22, 2025 – Gondar
Davening, meals and activities will take place in our hotel. The evening will consist of a movie or lecture.
Day 8 – Sunday, March 23, 2025 – Bahir Dar
we will drive to Bahir Dar and on route visit the ancient Ethiopian Jewish village and synagogue in Ambober which served as the capital of Ethiopia’s Jewish community, located in the North Gondar Zone of the Amhara Region. In the late twentieth century, this synagogue was the main site of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee’s (JDC’s) operations to assist the Beta Israel before they made Aliyah (immigrated) to Israel. Though there is no longer a Jewish population in Ambober, their one-room synagogue still stands in the main part of the village.
In the afternoon we will take a boat cruise on the beautiful highland Lake Tana and visit the beautifully decorated thatched roof monastery with its distinctive colorful frescoes of religious scenes and old manuscripts. We will disembark at one of the islands and take a hike among trees and bushes to one of the most famous monasteries – the Ura Kidane Mehret.
Return to the hotel for dinner.
Day 9 – Monday, March 24, 2024 – Bahir Dar
Today after Tefilla and breakfast we will take a scenic drive to the little town of Tis Abay to visit the famous Blue Nile Falls.
Drive back to Bahar Dar for lunch.
Take a walking tour of the Bahir Dar city and watch the sunset from Lake Tana and Blue Nile River lookout point.
You can also enjoy an afternoon spa and pool at our resort.
Dinner at the hotel.
Day 10, Tuesday, March 25, 2025 – Axum
After Tefilla and breakfast, we will fly to Axum, the seat of the Axumite Empire via Addis Ababa. We will have a guided tour of the archaeological museum, monolithic steles or obelisks, the toms of King Kaleb and King Gebre Meskal and the legendary bath of Queen of Sheba and the ruins of her ancient palace.
Following we will visit the new and old cathedral of St. May of Zion and the sanctuary that houses the original Arc of the covenant.
Dinner at the hotel
Day 11, Wednesday, March 26, 2025 – Axum
T
his morning, after breakfast, we will take a city tour of Axum, a town in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia with a population of 66,900 residents (as of 2015). It is the site of the historic capital of the Aksumite Empire. Thereafter we will fly to Addis Ababa at noon to visit the Friendship Park. The park has an artificial lake, with a water fountain that is illuminated at night. It also contains a variety of flowers and a diverse species of flora. The diversity of the Ethiopian people is illustrated by the planting of 80 trees on two walkways.
Then on to Merkato market, which is considered Africa’s biggest market, an open air sprawl of vendors that goes on for kilometers; It’s one of those markets that weaves in all directions and you never know what you’re going to stumble into or what you’re going to find.
A boxed lunch will be given during the visit and a late dinner will be at Chabad and thereafter we will transfer to the airport for our flight home.
Prices coming very soon. Email info@aaci.org.il for additional information.