Fasil Legesse
Director, FasilDan Communications

Back in 1981, Fasil Legesse could never have realized that his aliyah to Israel from Ethiopia at the age of 19 would forever change the way Israelis perceive their fellow Jewish brethren. In fact, with the strong support of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), Legesse’s legacy has also forever changed the way today’s 80,000-strong community of Ethiopian Jews perceives itself.

Click here to view a 1.5 minute video of Fasil Legesse.

Following graduation from Tel Aviv University, Legesse set himself the challenge of providing an Ethiopian-Israeli voice through Israeli media channels. He sought to provide links both to the rich heritage and language of an ancient community, and to provide the younger generation with a voice in contemporary Israeli society.

It didn’t take long for Legesse to enter the media fray. In 1986, he aired the country’s first Amharic-language broadcasts from the Kol Yisrael radio studios. In the late 1990s, JDC co-sponsored, together with the Ethiopian-Israeli community and the Israeli government, the popular bi-weekly TV program "Through Our Eyes," produced and edited by Legesse. This half-hour feature offered penetrating insights into the lives of Ethiopian-Israelis for the veteran population; as well as serving as an invaluable resource for the Ethiopian community by featuring news updates in Amharic, panel discussions, and special segments including cooking, sports, and entertainment.

Not only did these TV presentations diminish the social isolation faced by older Ethiopian-Israelis -- many of whom are illiterate in both Hebrew and Amharic -- but an estimated 80% of the community is kept abreast of the latest developments in the country.

Fasil has now launched an entirely Ethiopian TV channel with both of Israel's cable companies. This is a major upgrade from his original program, Through Our Own Eyes, as this enterprise, which is reaching approximately 85% of Ethiopian-Israeli households has a major effect on the community at large. This television channel, broadcasting around the clock, is informing the community of day-to-day events in Israel in their own language, bringing them to the forefront of Israeli current events and culture.

Legesse also produced and directed the 1997 documentary film "For the Sake of Zion," which cinematically captured the personal stories of Ethiopian "Prisoners of Zion." In January 2000, Legesse established "Fasildan," a communications company based in Ethiopia, which won a first-ever contract with Royal Ethiopian Television. In addition, Legesse maintains a number of business and educational projects with the Ethiopian government, including with Ethiopian Airlines.

July 2007