The Passengers

In Ethiopia, there is a community of over nine thousand Jews. They speak Hebrew, keep kosher and have relatives in Israel, yet Israel continues to deny their appeals for aliyah — the Jewish birthright to become a citizen of Israel. They survive within a temporary, difficult reality in Ethiopia, dreaming of one day living fully as Jews in Israel.

THE PASSENGERS follows the amazing journey of two young Ethiopian Jews, Demoz and Gezi, as they represent their abandoned community on a fateful mission in America. The purpose of the trip is to join forces with prominent American Jewish leaders to pressure the Israeli government into completing the Ethiopian aliyah. With intimate access and detailed historical context, we follow the unlikely spokesmen, out of Ethiopia for the first time in their lives, as they deal with the pressure, homesickness and ups and downs of a grassroots campaign, while growing and thriving personally from the emotional journey.

The Ethiopian Jews continue to wait. Become an advocate for this community through supporting the documentary.