I was born in Ethiopia and I lived in a village until grade six. Two years later, I moved to Gona, a bigger city in Ethiopia, and studied in a public school where I faced a lot of anti-Semitism. I lived in Gona for two years and waited to make aliyah. After two years, I moved to Israel with my entire family. Now I’m in grade eleven and I feel Israeli.

“I was born in Ethiopia and I lived in a village until grade six. Two years later, I moved to Gona, a bigger city in Ethiopia, and studied in a public school where I faced a lot of anti-Semitism. I lived in Gona for two years and waited to make aliyah. After two years, I moved to Israel with my entire family. Now I’m in grade eleven and I feel Israeli.

In Ethiopia, most of the Jews couldn’t show that they are Jewish, so we needed to pretend that we were Christian and go to Church every Sunday. I thought my family and I were Christians and not Jews. Then I came to Israel and they told me that I’m Jewish and I need to do all the mitzvoth. In the Jewish program I’m a part of, I started to consider my beliefs and who I am. I created a new identity for myself. I try to keep all the mitzvoth and wear a kippah, and I’m shomer Shabbat, even though it’s hard for me, especially at camp in Canada. Today, I’m really proud of who I am. I’m really proud that I’m a Jew.”

Category: People