Unattended luggage, Ethiopia and the JDC

Naomi Matlow and friends in Ethiopia

“If You See Something, Say Something.” This has become the motto of New York City and perhaps the rest of the western world over the past decade. If you notice a suspicious package on a subway platform or an unattended carry-on luggage at the airport, say something. Make it known and don’t keep it inside, you could possibly save a life or at least help someone recover their unattended baggage.

This line constantly ran through my mind as I took the 1 Train down the west side of Manhattan to go to work three weeks ago, and as I waited to board a plane to Ethiopia at Washington, D.C.'s Dulles International Airport two short weeks ago. Presently, I am back in my hometown of Toronto and I have definitely seen something. Therefore, I would not be a rightful semi-New Yorker/traveller/honest Canadian girl if I did not say something.

I was very fortunate to be on a group trip to Ethiopia with the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee this October. As our JDC trip leader aptly stated at the beginning of our trip, the JDC is the best kept secret of the Jewish community. After what I have seen, I am convinced that this is true. Growing up in Toronto, attending United Synagogue Day School, later the Community Hebrew Academy of Toronto and then the University of Toronto, I was utterly unaware of the JDC and the incredible work that it did. I was told by new friends from the trip who grew up in Europe that the work of the JDC was a large fixture in their Jewish lives and communities in Hungary and the Former Soviet Union, for example. This is because the JDC is a U.S.-based NGO that works to strengthen vulnerable communities, Jewish and non-Jewish alike. It is the leading Jewish humanitarian assistance organization that aids people in crises, in poverty, in disaster response and in community development. It is time for this best kept secret to be let out in Canada.

I found out about JDC while scouring the Internet in New York for opportunities to do service work through a Jewish lens. Lo and behold, one of the many special features of JDC is JDC Entwine, a movement for young Jewish leaders to get involved in the many life-saving projects of the Joint all over the world. One of the ways Entwine does this is through Insider trips to the many countries that JDC assists – from the Philippines to Bulgaria, from Israel to India. I was fortunate to attend an Insider trip to Ethiopia this year and it was there that I was let in on the secret.

The JDC started its important work in Ethiopia by assisting the Jewish population, and played a crucial rule in Operation Solomon in May 1991 when 14,000 Ethiopian Jews were airlifted to Israel over the course of 1 ½ days. Presently, the JDC continues to work with partner agencies in Israel to help Ethiopian-Israelis become acclimatized to Israeli life. Although the majority of Jewish Ethiopians are now living in Israel, the JDC has not stopped its work in Ethiopia and continues to aid those individuals with the most need.

One of the many elements of a JDC Insider trip is to witness and experience first-hand the positive impact that the JDC is making in the lives of the people who need assistance most. In Ethiopia, we were fortunate to attend WISE, Women in Self Employment, a learning institution where women and girls are given the opportunity to study information technology, business and management, among many other subjects, so they can support themselves and their families by running their own businesses while gaining confidence and a network at the same time.

We also met with young women who have received scholarships from the JDC so they can attend Unity University in Addis Ababa and become independent, working professionals. The pride that these women took in their education was astounding. We learned that when a woman in the household is educated, the whole family is more likely to become educated. Knowledge is power, and the JDC is spearheading a new wave of powerful women in Ethiopia. Although we were representing the JDC, these women gave to us much more than we could ever give to them.

Also in Addis Ababa we were privileged to witness the miracle work of Dr. Rick Hodes, JDC’s medical director. To watch Dr. Rick in his clinic interact with these young spine and heart patients, many of whom trekked to Addis from rural communities on foot to meet Dr. Rick with the hopes of having another chance at life, took all our breaths away. We all knew we were in the midst of something extremely special ­­­­– Jews from around the world giving these poor Ethiopian children, many of whom were orphans, “another birthday,” in the words of one of the heart patients that just returned from Ghana after life-saving heart surgery. I heard the new “tick” of his heart and I couldn’t help myself from crying.

This is tzedakah in action. This is tikkun olam in action. This is the Jewish mission of leaving the world a little better than from the way we came. Without the passion and hard work of Dr. Rick and the JDC, these patients would literally be left out in the cold. They are saving lives, and with increased financial support, more children will have straight spines, beating hearts and become cancer-free. If not for them, these young Ethiopian children could never become the doctors, scientists and confident souls that they dream of becoming.

We then travelled up north to Gondar, which was at one point the centre of Ethiopian Jewry. Today, the JDC continues to build and maintain wells for many rural Ethiopian communities. Because of the JDC, new schools are being built, schools are being beautified and students are learning science with state of the art technology. Another student we were fortunate to meet told us that he was going to become a scientist when he grew up, after exhibiting the electrical stoplight that he built. The JDC is opening doors and giving opportunities to young people who may never otherwise get such chances. Again, this is without a doubt going to leave the world a better place.

We truly saw so much while we were in Ethiopia. When you see something, it is hard not to only say something but to see something else within ourselves. There is so much opportunity to do good in this world and there is no shame in piggybacking on the good of someone else, therefore allowing more good to be done. It was important for me to “say something” because I want to encourage Canadians in our Jewish community to learn more about the work of the JDC and I believe there is no better way to start than by going on an Insider trip, (plus you will meet a lot of awesome new friends.)

There is often a tendency to believe that Jewish charitable organizations only serve Jews, and within our globally minded generation-Y world, this may not be enough for all. The Jewish value of tikkun olam is to repair the world for everybody – Jewish and non-Jewish alike. This is what the JDC is doing and it is incredible to witness. There are so many people out there who could use a little help. Or perhaps even just a smile and a wave in the Ethiopian wilderness, a message to somebody across the globe that we are here too and we also care – that there is more that connects us than separates us. As my Grandma Esther used to say, “To be able to help others is a great privilege.”

Visit jdcentwine.org for more information or to make a donation to the JDC.