About Us

Our Mission

The BINA Cultural Foundation, Inc. is committed to

…Fostering the continuity of the Ethiopian Jewish (Beta Israel) cultural heritage and promoting understanding of its traditions and history among Jews and non-Jews.

…Empowering Ethiopian Jews in the United States, Israel, and Ethiopia.

…Providing assistance to Ethiopian Jews who come to the U.S.

…Serving as a bridge between the Jewish, Ethiopian, and African-American communities.

…Working for greater understanding and inclusiveness among ethnic groups within the Jewish community.

BINA's Vision

BINA is an initiative by us to empower us…

BINA envisions Ethiopian Jews as an integral component of the Jewish people and works to ensure that their voices will be included in the Jewish community and add to the diversity of the Jewish people. BINA works for greater understanding and integration among ethnic groups within the Jewish community and beyond.

Since our establishment in 2002, we have worked to educate both the Jewish community and members of other communities about Ethiopian Jewish culture and history through our public programs, have provided resources for Ethiopian Jewish immigrants to the U.S., and have served as an advocate for Ethiopian Jews within the American Jewish community.

In addition, our aim is to provide an inclusive understanding of the Beta Israel community, and we welcome working with organizations both within and without the Jewish community to foster understanding and awareness of our culture and history.

Highlights of our activities:

BINA’s Annual Sheba Film Festival is now in its 5th year and is the only film festival of its kind in the U.S. This cultural extravaganza introduces the general public to films, artistic exhibitions and panel discussions about the history, culture, and life experiences of Ethiopian Jews.
BINA organizes Ethiopian Shabbat dinners, Sigd celebrations, Hannukah parties, and Passover seders at synagogues and community centers in the New York area and beyond.
BINA conducts cultural showcases. In the past, these have included an Ethiopian coffee ceremony at the UJA of Northern New Jersey’s Great Jewish Wedding Event, at the Bergen County Y, in June 2007. The event celebrated the culture and traditions of Jews from India, Morocco, Yemen and Ethiopia.
In December 2007, BINA participated in the Seventh Annual Interfaith Holiday Celebration at Marcus Garvey Park, lighting the menorah and teaching audience members Hannukah songs.

BINA is proud to be a resident group at Bikkurim: An Incubator for New Jewish Ideas,
a program that provides in-kind support for new Jewish organizations.

In the News

Ethiopia @2000 Photography Exhibition. Tadias - June 26, 2008

By Tadias Staff Published: Thursday, June 26, 2008 New York (Tadias) - The final event of the Ethiopian Millennium Celebration Series hosted by the Beta Israel of North America foundation will include a presentation of photography by Ethiopian and American photographers at the State Building in Harlem, NY, Friday night. The photographs presented in this exhibition were taken by five professional photographers, each devoted to documenting and representing Ethiopian culture in Ethiopia, Israel, and the United States. The photographs represent a wide spectrum of artistic styles and subjects.

http://www.tadias.com/?p=1993

Ethiopia - The King Who Granted Asylum to the Family of the Prophet Mohammad - June 24, 2008

By Tadias Staff Published: Tuesday June 24, 2008 New York (Tadias) - This past Sunday, at Harlem's Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, a panel discussion entitled "Ethiopia: The Three Faiths" attracted a diverse and large audience. The event hosted by Beta Israel of North America foundation began with cultural dances from the Indian subcontinent and an Ethiopian dance troupe called Keremela.

http://nazret.com/blog/index.php?title=ethiopia_the_king_who_granted_asylum_to_&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1

Sheba Ethiopian Jewish Film Festival. Kulanu - June 15, 2008

The 5th Annual Sheba Film Festival took place on June 15 at the Manhattan JCC by celebrating the lives of Ethiopian Jews in Ethiopia and Israel through film. The films represented a diverse crossspectrum of Jewish and Ethiopian life.

http://kulanu.org/newsletters/2008-summer.pdf

The Ethiopian Millennium Celebration Continues… Tsehainy - June 6, 2008

While the official Ethiopian Millennium fell on September 11, 2007, nine months later, the celebration is far from being over. Ethiopians filled the intimate Joe’s Pub located on 425 Lafayette Street in New York on Saturday May 31st for the Ethiopian Millennium Celebration Concert.

http://tsehainy.com/Millinniumcelebration.html

New York to Celebrate Ethiopian Millennium. Tadias - May 12, 2008

New York (Tadias) - New Yorkers will mark the Ethiopian Millennium in the city this summer with a series of high profile events that include a concert, a photography exhibition, a film festival and a panel discussion.

http://www.tadias.com/?p=1759

Ethiopian-Israeli Play Makes U.S. Splash. Tadias - May 5, 2008

New York (Tadias) - An Ethiopian-Israeli play, based on a true story told from a perspective of a ten-year-old boy named Andargay, is making the rounds in the United States in conjunction with Israel’s 60th anniversary. I managed to catch One of a Kind at the New Victory Theater in New York.

http://www.tadias.com/?p=1736

“Starbucks, eat your heart out,” - October 17, 2007

BINA holds a Shabbat service at the Village Temple, including an Ethiopian coffee ceremony.

http://thevillager.com/villager_233/starbuckseatyour.html

“Report from the Sheba Film Festival,” Tadias - June 13, 2007

A description of BINA, its mission, and activities.

http://www.tadias.com/?p=616

“Introducing BINA: Ethiopian Jewish U.S. Organization,” Kulanu, - January 1, 2005

A description of BINA, its mission, and activities.

www.kulanu.org/newsletters/2006-winter.pdf

“Harlem’s Ethiopian Renaissance,” The Jewish Week - August 27, 2004

A report from the 1st annual Sheba Film Festival.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb5092/is_200408/ai_n18521616