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PROFILES OF
SEVERAL SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS
Michal Avara
 Soon after Michal’s
brother was kidnapped by the Ethiopian army to serve for life as a
soldier in war-torn Ethiopia, her father told the family of nine
children that they were going to secretly leave for the Promised Land:
Jerusalem. At the time, Michal was only nine years old. Her family
left all possessions behind. They took only food and water with them.
Fearing to be discovered by soldiers or to be accosted by bandits, the
family hid during the day and trudged along the terrain at night.
Finally, after walking for six weeks to get to the Sudan, they were able
to bribe the guards to enter the refugee camp. No one could know they
were Jewish or all would be lost. Finally, Michal and most of her
family were taken in the dead of night to two military planes, which
would transport them to Israel.
Michal, a recipient
of SFEJ scholarships, graduated with a Master’s Degree in Educational
Counseling from Haifa University and is currently pursuing her
doctorate.
Jeremy Aymalak
My name is Jeremy Aymalak. I was
born in 1976 and I have four bothers and sisters. I immigrated to Israel
in 1982 during “Operation Moses” with my family and my grandmother and
we all moved to an apartment in Ashkelon.
When we arrived to Israel both my
parents were sick with Asthma and because of their health problems and
the high medical expenses, my sister Zina went to work as the only
provider for the whole family. After a couple of years my sister Zina
went through a personal dreadful trauma after which she got depressed
and eventually committed suicide at home. After this my parents asked to
move to a different apartment and the only one provided to them was on a
busy street with a lot of passing traffic, which worsened my parents’
health problems. My sister’s death passed the burden of providing for my
family to me so I stopped studying and begun to work in two jobs. Within
a few months from each other, both my parents died and that was very
difficult for me – I felt I was alone in the world and had no one to
support me.
Two years later, I started working
at a cloth store whose owner was a musical producer, and so began my
love for music. With my manager’s support (I was really lucky), I
started writing and composing songs and today I am a well-known singer
in the community. I have six songs in different collections of Israeli
singers and I have enough material for 2-3 CDs of my own songs. However,
talent in itself is not enough and I realized I must also study. I
applied to one of the best music schools here in Israel – The "Rimon
Jazz School". Despite the fact that I didn’t finish my high school
studies I was accepted thanks to my musical talent and persistence. The
tuition for this school is 15,000 NIS a year and the studies are for
three years after which I will receive a Bachelors Degree in Music.
I am highly motivated with my
studies and I am grateful for the school for opening its doors for me
and having faith in my talent and musical abilities.
Areta
Mantagabush (Mante)
I was born in Ethiopia in 1974 and
immigrated to Israel alone in 1996. Back in Ethiopia remained my parents
and 6 siblings. After I arrived to Israel I met my husband we have a six
years old daughter, however, today I am divorced. While in Ethiopia I
completed 12 years of high school studies and immediately after
continued my studies for a higher education at the Addis Ababa
University majoring in literature. However, I realized that my dream was
to study something to do with medicine.
Unfortunately, as a result of some
difficulties I had at the beginning of my new life in Israel, relating
to language and financial difficulties, I had to postpone my plans.
Today, I feel I have the energy and the willingness to study and this
year I began my studies to be a Dental Assistant at Tel Aviv University
Dental School. My hopes are to first finish my studies as a dental
assistant and then I dram of advancing my studies to become a dentist. I
believe in myself, I love my studies and I believe I am setting the
right example for my daughter.
Rada
Kess Amir Takae (Amir Rada)
I was born in Ethiopia in 1969.
After a year's stop over in a refugee camp in Sudan, I immigrated to
Israel in operation Moses 1984 with my family (parents and four
siblings). Today I am married to Leorah and I am a father to two girls.
While in Ethiopia I managed to complete 8 years of studies and once I
arrived to Israel I finished my studies and received a full high school
diploma. After my studies I enlisted to the army where I served for
three years as a fighter in the paratroopers unit.
Today I am in one before last year
of studies in Youth Care and Promotion at the Beit Berl College. I am
also working as a social and educational adviser at the Steering
Committee for Ethiopian Immigrants. My work includes counseling for
families, parents and students on issue relating to education. My dream
is to complete my studies and receive my degree and then to slowly build
my career within the Israel Educational System, addressing both the
Ethiopian community and the Israeli public as a whole.
The contribution of Keren Hanan
Aynor’s scholarship fund is, and has been, very helpful in my studies.
This is a major challenge for me because I work, and need academic
education to develop and advance in my field. This year, academic
studies helped me a lot, not only to become certified in special
education, but also for professional development. You did not only help
me and my family, but also to other people who are assisted by us; this
is very interesting to me, as much as my professional studies. For
example, helping the special, limited ability child and his psychology.
I want to continue studying and developing, because I am a curious
person. Next year I will continue my studies, and complete them. I am
registering to study toward obtaining a teaching license. I repeat:
Keren Hanan Aynor’s help has been invaluable in helping me. I am happy
that there are such helpful good people who help persons who have little
resources. May they grow in number.
Assegedesh
Zeysanu
I was born in Ethiopia in 1970 and
I have six brothers and sisters. Back in Ethiopia, I completed 12 years
of high school studies, but my family was too poor to send me to
university. Instead, I worked for three years as a secretary in a
hospital, before immigrating to Israel in 1992. 1 got married in
Ethiopia and my husband, Mulo and I, immigrated together. We have two
children. Because of financial difficulties, I spent seven years working
at a food factory and taking care of my children. However, during this
whole time I was eager to acquire an education and better my chances. In
order to do so, I first completed my studies for a fully recognized
Israeli high school diploma. Later, I took the required tests for higher
education studies and today I am in my third year of nursing studies at
the Ashkelon Nursing School. Although it is very difficult to both study
five days a week and care for my family, I am dedicated and determined
to realize my dream, complete my studies and receive the diploma as a
qualified nurse. This will enable me in the future to both serve as a
role model for my children and to better provide for my family.
Getta
Makonen
My name is Mekonnen Getta and I
was born in Ethiopia in 1966. I started attending school at the age of
six and since I lived in a village surrounded by other "Jewish"
villages, I went to a Jewish school and learned Hebrew already as a
child in Ethiopia. However, my last three years of high school I studied
in Gondar, the closest city to my village. After high school I studied
for a degree in nursing and although I did not finish my studies, I
worked as nurse at a local hospital until I immigrated to Israel with
family in 1991 -. Operation Solomon. Once I arrived, even though I knew
Hebrew from school, I felt I had to strengthen my language abilities and
attended an Ulpan for one year. After Ulpan, I did a one year
preparatory program at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem before
beginning my studies for a B.A in Business Management at Touro College,
Jerusalem. Here in Israel I also met my wife, Rachel, and we have two
children. Today I am studying for an M.A in Public Administration. My
hopes are, once I finish my studies, to find my way in Israel's Health
Service System. I believe that based on my past experience as a nurse
and on my acquired expertise, I will be able to contribute in the best
way both to the Ethiopian community and Israel society.
I am studying toward my second
degree in managing health systems. The school is in Jerusalem, at
Sha’arey Tzedek, and is named "The University for Israel". I am at the
end of my second year, and am studying during the summer semester, at
which point I will be a candidate for a degree. I’d like to thank the
team at Keren Hanan Aynor, who have advised me and supported me
monetarily during the year. They also helped me to obtain support from
Keren Sillins; my family and I thank them for their monetary support
during the year. This enabled me to continue my studies. I hope to
complete my studies in peace, and then work in the field of public
administration, with a wide range of activities that serve a wide
audience. If possible, I’d like to work at a hospital or government
offices in the area of my specialty, managing health systems.
Click here to open an Acrobat Reader
file profiling these four scholarship participants:
Docs/ShowLetter.pdf
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