Trip Is Intended to Boost Understanding

In November, a group of Ethiopian Israeli teen-agers visited Los Angeles as part of an Anti-Defamation League program to foster cross-cultural understanding.

Now, nine African American and Latino high school students, three from the San Fernando Valley, are heading to Israel for a reunion with their counterparts.

The 10-day excursion beginning Sunday is part of a program called “Children of the Dream” created in 1992 by the ADL to counteract tensions between African Americans and American Jews. By educating students about the persecution of Ethiopian Jews, the program directors hoped to dispel stereotypes among American students. The Israeli students who visited in November shared their experiences of discrimination with Los Angeles Unified School District students, many of whom had similar stories.

One of the students heading to Israel Sunday--Ta’Lease Cleveland of Canoga Park--said she felt great respect for the Israeli students after hearing them tell of the religious persecution they faced in Ethiopia and the hardships they endured to flee to Israel.

“The major problem we have with racism is that people are ignorant of other cultures,” said Ta’Lease, who attends the Bravo Medical Magnet school in Los Angeles. “If more people could appreciate other cultures, we would live in peace.”

Byron Ramos, a senior at North Hollywood High School, and Tamara Brazill, a senior at Kennedy High School, will also represent the Valley on the trip.

The ADL raised about $70,000 to pay for three trips, including two groups of Ethiopian Israelis visiting Los Angeles, and the group of Americans who are traveling to Israel. The program has already expanded to other states, but this will be the first group of Americans to travel to Israel as part of it. According to the ADL, the need for such programs is growing.

“We cannot take for granted that a multitude of ethnic and religious groups can coexist without positive programming,” said Marjorie Green, an education director for ADL. “We need all kinds of proactive missions and educational programs to pave the way for a community where we value differences.”