Led by Prof. Morris Hartstein, Israel’s Shamir Medical Center delegation treated over 1,600 Ethiopians — including refugees, orphans, and members of the Jewish community — providing eye care, glasses, and medicine under the banner of Operation Ethiopia.
An Israeli medical delegation has returned from Ethiopia after a life-changing mission that brought sight-saving treatments to 1,653 patients who had little or no access to eye care.
The team, led by Prof. Morris Hartstein, senior oculoplastic surgeon at Shamir Medical Center, worked under the non-profit Operation Ethiopia, which he co-founded with his wife, Alisa Hartstein. Over six days, the delegation set up mobile eye clinics across four locations — refugee camps near Debre Berhan, the Mother Teresa Charity Mission, the Mekedonia Center for people with disabilities, and local Jewish communities.
Key achievements of the mission:
- 1,653 patients treated, including nearly 500 orphans
- 440 eyeglasses distributed
- 654 units of donated medicine delivered
- Training provided to Ethiopian doctors and medical staff, ensuring long-term impact
Prof. Hartstein reflected:
“What began in 2014 as a family volunteer trip has become our life’s mission. We see people losing vision from treatable conditions — cataracts, infections, preventable diseases — and we cannot turn away.”
Alisa Hartstein, who manages Operation Ethiopia, described the emotional moments:
“People line up from six in the morning. The gratitude is indescribable — from an 11-year-old girl who laughed and cried with joy after receiving her first glasses, to an elderly man who blessed our team in Amharic after years of darkness.”
The mission was bolstered by residents from Shamir, Beilinson, and Meir Medical Centers, alongside volunteers who operated makeshift clinics in churches, classrooms, and tents.
Beyond immediate relief, the delegation’s training sessions with Ethiopian doctors, many trained in Israel, ensure that care continues long after the mission ends.
For over a decade, Operation Ethiopia has served as a beacon of compassion, supported by Jewish donors in Israel and worldwide. The project embodies the spirit of tikkun olam — restoring dignity, hope, and sight where it is needed most.
