Today was AFUWOFI's last day at Beit She'ean and for the last event the American and Israelis went together to an Ethiopian museum. When we arrived at the museum we met a woman named Chava who told us the museum was called "Germachi" which means pride in one's culture, color, and lifestyle. She then proceeded to explain to us a few customs from Ethiopian culture. She told us that coffee originated from Ethiopia and handed guests coffee as they walk in. She added that coffee is also used in Ethiopian culture to solve conflicts as well as a polite way to ask a father permission to marry his daughter.
She then demonstrated for us another custom which is that mothers hold babies on their back., The mother holds the baby this way while doing household chores like cooking and cleaning. Doing these things together creates a special connection and bond between them.
After a couple of minutes of explaining Ethiopian culture and customs
Chava then began telling us of her journey to Israel. She told us that
ever since she was a little girl she would hear her parents talk about
how they don't belong in Ethiopia, they belong in Jerusalem. Then when she was nine her brother finished high school, and as an 18 year old he had to join the Ethiopian army. However, he didn't want to do this, so he created a plan for him and his friends to go to Jerusalem through Sudan.
Chava heard about his plan and told her parents that she wanted to join them. Her parents emphatically said no. However she snuck out with her brother and her friends without anyone noticing she was there. For a couple of days she proceeded on the journey without anyone seeing her until one day she fell in the river and couldn't get out. She called her brother for help and everyone then realized that she had snuck out and had been hiding with them. They couldn't tell her to go back home since it was too far so they allowed her to stay but they told her that she had to keep quiet. She was then given a letter from her brother that was actually from her father that said "keep yourself safe". (Chava said that she keeps that message with her till this day.)
The journey continued for three long brutal months. One night bandits caught them and took all of their cattle, food, and money, they were left with nothing. Later on Chava's brother almost passed out but she found water to give him and he was able to continue the journey with everyone.
Chava then told us that a couple days before they reached Sudan they ran out of food and water. However, Chava remembered that her mother tied a piece of candy to her clothes. Chava took the piece of candy and split it between her brother and her. That piece of candy ended up saving their lives and enable them to reach Sudan.
When the group reached the border of Sudan, the Red Cross helped them out. Still, many of them died throughout the journey, Chava and her brother were able to make an Aliya in 1984. Chava arrived in Israel as a teenager so it was very difficult for her to survive without her parents, however she pushed through and thrived and is now married, a mother of eight, works as a professional counselor, and runs the center for Ethiopian culture.
(Additional material about Chava's present life now comes from the blog of Sarah Pincus)
What is your favorite color?
Green because I grew up in nature.
How did the Aliyah process affect your life?
I didn't see my parents for a while so I was lonely. I tried to look for
my parents but I didn't have a typical childhood. Since i didn't have
parents, nobody was there to recognize my talents. Im proud that i was independent but i missed having a normal childhood. That is why I got married young when I was around seventeen years old. I also got married young because in my culture women don't learn and don't have jobs. Now I make sure that my eight children have a better life then I had when I was a child.
What are the struggles that face Ethiopians in Israel today?
The tension between parents and their children. Since they grew up in different cultures, they see things differently. For example, parents
don't want their children to get piercings.
How did you end up living in Bet Shean?
I didn't intend on moving to Bet Shean but my parents moved here so I wanted to be here with them.
Do you miss Ethiopia?
No. I am planning on going back in a couple months. I was in a choir when I lived there when I was young. I want to return and write a song and produce a CD about my childhood in Ethiopia.
After Chava told us her unbelievable story, we then were able to hear
from an actual Ethiopian teen from our program. Her name was Lital, She was born in Israel however her parents came from Ethiopia. She told us that she goes to school like normal teenagers and participates in theater. I then had the opportunity to ask her a couple of questions
regarding her experience as being an Ethiopian Jewish teen in Israel.
Q: What do you do that is different than most Israeli teenagers your age?
A: My life is not that different than most teenagers. I am very connected with Israeli culture, all my friends are Israeli. However, we do have a center just for Ethiopians where we go on many different trips and do many Ethiopian cultures in order to try to make sure the customs won't be forgotten.
Q: Have you ever been a victim of racism?
A: When I was younger people used to call me names and tell me that I wasn't Jewish but it has gotten better.
Q: Do you ever feel like you are treated differently because your
Ethiopian?
A: I haven't really had many problems. I really feel accepted in my
community.
Q: How do you have so much confidence with yourself?
A: I used to not have so much confidence but I think the more I got
involved in theater the more I got comfortable in my skin. In my plays I have skits where I talk about who I am and why I am special and why it's beautiful to be black. I am not longer scared of how I look. I love it and embrace it.
She then proceeded to tell me a part of her lines in her skit:
אני לא קושית, אני צבע שוקולד, וכולם אוהבים שוקולד . גם, אני נולדתי שזופה,
אני לא צריכה לבזבז זמן להשתזף כמו אנשים אחרים. אני נולדתי יפה.
I'm not black. I'm the color of chocolate and everyone loves chocolate.
Also I was born tan, I don't have to waste time tanning like everyone
else. I was born beautiful.
With that I stopped the interview because I understood that Lital was
truly, born beautiful.