- Israel

Shmuel: From Ethiopian Country Side to Israeli Officer, Father, Author and Professional

Growing up in a rural, isolated Ethiopian village until he was 12 years old, Shmuel's life took a dramatic twist in 1980 when, together with his family, he became one of the first Jews to leave Ethiopia in what is now called "Operation Moses."

Shmuel's life trajectory has been both interesting and successful, from the small Ethiopian village of his youth to life today in Beersheba as a husband, father of three and the head of a key JDC program. Shmuel is an inspiration to many recent Ethiopian immigrants who hope to replicate his success. With no prior knowledge of Hebrew, Shmuel graduated from high school, earning a BA in Educational Administration and a MA in Educational Counseling. He served in Israel's elite Paratroop Regiment, where he was the second Ethiopian to receive officer's epaulets and, in 1991, he was awarded special recognition by then Commander-in-Chief Ehud Barak. In 1996, Shmuel wrote and published the book From Falasha to Freedom – An Ethiopian Jew's Journey to Jerusalem.

Shmuel understands firsthand the challenges new Ethiopian immigrants face as they strive to integrate into Israeli society. Language acquisition, culture shock and navigating the societal system are some of the barriers that Shmuel broke through, making him an ideal role model for others. He has chosen to dedicate his life to helping fellow Ethiopians immigrants through his job as JDC's Area Head of Massad Klita — Immigrant Integration. Massad Klita is a partnership between JDC Israel and four government offices, dealing with the development and planning of services to integrate immigrants within Israeli society. The partnership focuses on a few major areas: Young adults between the ages of 18-30, Hebrew language acquisition, and developing the community, infrastructures and human resources.

Shmuel has served in many roles for JDC. In earlier positions he was responsible for JDC programs in the Ethiopian community that aim to ease the culture shock among Ethiopian immigrants, while providing scholastic enrichment and role models for Ethiopian youth. Shmuel also oversaw cutting-edge programs within the Ethiopian community such as Families Online, which helps bridge the gaps between Ethiopian-Israeli parents and their children through the use of computers.

November 2006