Four thousand Ethiopian Jews who perished en route to Israel in the 1980s were honored Monday in a ceremony at Jerusalem’s Mount Herzl, organized by the Immigrant Absorption Ministry.

President Shimon Peres addressed the huge crowd, emphasizing the difficulties Ethiopian immigrants had faced and the “dream of Jerusalem in their hearts.” The annual ceremony is held on Jerusalem Day to emphasize the community’s love for the capital.

After fleeing their homes and trekking through the deserts of Sudan, the survivors of the journey were flown to Israel.

“The story of their bravery, the courage in their hearts and their sacrifice, are engraved in the great chapters of glory of the gathering of exiles and the return to Zion,” Peres said.

“Tens of thousands moved to the command of their hearts and the vision, and rose up – families, groups, and bold individuals – and set their footsteps toward the state of Israel.”

Peres said that now, years after the large wave of Ethiopian immigration, Ethiopians could be found in all fields, including academia, professions, culture and art, as well as in command positions in the army.

By Stephanie Rubenstein, THE JERUSALEM POST