African Americans in Israel facts for kids

African Americans in Israel are a group of at least 25,000 people. They include different communities. Some are African-American Jews who moved from the United States to Israel. This move is called making aliyah, which means returning to Israel.

Other African Americans have moved to Israel for work or school. This includes athletes who play for Israeli sports teams. There are also students, business people, and guest workers. Many Israeli citizens also have African American family roots. African Americans have served in the Israel Defence Force. They have also been accepted into Israeli society. They have even represented Israel in big events like the Olympic Games and the Eurovision Song Contest.

African American-Israelis have greatly influenced Israeli culture. This is especially true in art, music, and sports. There is also a large group called the Black Hebrew Israelites of Jerusalem. About 5,000 of them live mostly in Dimona. They first came to Israel from Chicago in the 1960s.

Who are African American Israelis?

African American-Israeli basketball player Shawn Dawson. His father, Joe Dawson, was born in America. His mother is Yemenite Jewish.

African American-Israeli sprinter Donald Sanford. He represented Israel at the 2016 Olympics.

Many African Americans live in Israel. Some famous examples include basketball player Joe Dawson. He was born in America. His son, Shawn Dawson, was born in Israel. They live in Eilat.

Another example is Donald Sanford. He is an Olympic athlete born in America. He lives in Ein Shemer with his Ashkenazi-Israeli wife.

African American Jews in Israel

Many African American Jews have made aliyah to Israel. All Jews, including African American Jews, can become Israeli citizens. This is allowed by Israel's law of return.

These Jews follow different types of denominations of Judaism. This includes Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox faiths. Some well-known African American Jews who moved to Israel are Nissim Black and Amar'e Stoudemire.

African American Athletes in Israel

Jamie Arnold, a retired African American-Israeli basketball player. He has dual citizenship and played for the Israeli national basketball team.

Many African American professional athletes have moved to Israel. They play for local Israeli sports teams. Most of these athletes play basketball. Some have decided to stay in Israel permanently. They continue to live there after playing in the Israeli national basketball league.

The Black Hebrew Israelite Community

The African Hebrew Israelite Nation of Jerusalem is a spiritual group. They are also known as the Black Hebrew Israelites. Their members believe they are descendants of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. Most of them live in Dimona, Israel.

This community has about 5,000 members. They came from a group of African Americans. Many were from Chicago, Illinois. They moved to Israel in the late 1960s.

The group was started by Ben Carter (1939–2014). He was a steel worker from Chicago. In 1966, when he was 27, Ben Ammi said he had a special vision. He felt a spiritual call to lead his people, African Americans, back to Israel.

At first, the African Hebrew Israelites believed they were the only true heirs to the land of Israel. They did not want to convert to Judaism. They thought most Israeli Jews were not from the ancient Israelites. But by the late 1980s, their views changed. They began to see Israel as a nation with many cultures, races, and religions.

Notable African-American Israelis

African American-Israeli sprinter Donald Sanford. He represents Israel.

• Jamie Arnold- An African American-Israeli basketball player. He played for the Israel men's national basketball team.

• Eddie Butler- An Israeli singer from the African Hebrew Israelites of Jerusalem community. He later became an Orthodox Jew. He was part of the band Eden. Butler was the first person of African American background to sing for Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest. He did this in 2000 and 2006.

• Joe Dawson- An African American-Israeli professional basketball player.

Israeli basketball player Shawn Dawson.

• Shawn Dawson- An Israeli basketball player. He is the son of Joe Dawson. Shawn is also part of the Israel men's national basketball team.

D'or Fischer, an African American-Israeli professional basketball player. He has dual citizenship and plays for Israel's national team.

• D'or Fischer (born October 12, 1981) is an American-Israeli professional basketball player. He plays for Elitzur Eito Ashkelon in the Israeli National League. He is from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He has lived in Israel since the early 2000s. He married an Israeli woman in 2008. Fischer has also played for the senior Israeli national basketball team. He is 2.11 meters tall. He plays as a power forward and center.

• Ahuva Gray- An African American-Israeli religious writer. She was a Baptist minister from Chicago. She converted to Orthodox Judaism. She wrote about her journey in the book My Sister, the Jew. She has lived in Jerusalem since the late 1900s.

• Aulcie Perry- An African American-Israeli professional basketball player. He played for Maccabi Tel Aviv from 1976 to 1985. He converted to Judaism and became an Israeli citizen in 1978.

• Donald Sanford- An African American-Israeli Olympic sprinter. He is from Inglewood, California. He represented Israel at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. He married Israeli basketball player Danielle Dekel-Sanford in 2008. They live in Kibbutz Ein Shemer. Sanford won a gold medal in the Men's 400m at the 2013 Maccabiah Games. He was named the 2014 Israeli Sportsman of The Year. He won a bronze medal in the 400 meters sprint at the European Athletic Championships in 2014. He set a new Israeli record of 45.27 seconds. He dedicated his medal to the Israel Defense Forces.

See Also

• Americans in Israel
• Ethiopian Jews in Israel
• Beta Israel
• African-American Jews
• African American diaspora