By Laura Wiessen | Israel21c.org
As a baby, diplomat Beylanesh Zevadia’s first word was neither “mama” nor “papa.” It was “Jerusalem.”
“That’s how our parents directed us,” the Ethiopian-born Zevadia explains. “[As children] our play was to go to Jerusalem. It was the center of our lives, that someday we could go there.”
And, at the age of 16 Zevadia did go there, becoming, just nine years later, the first Israeli-Ethiopian member of Israel’s diplomatic corps.
Geographically, at least, Beylanesh grew up far from the stones of Jerusalem. She was born in the Gondar region of Ethiopia, where her late father was the Chief Rabbi of the Ethiopian Jewish community. Beylanesh, the youngest of eight siblings, grew up in a rural village without modern conveniences such as running water or electricity. The Zevadia’s village, Ambover, was, however, the center of Jewish life in the region and home to a Jewish elementary school where the young girl learned Torah and Jewish studies from teachers such as her father and brother.
“I was very lucky that I was born to a family that knows what an education means,” she says.
Education, Jewish observance and Israel were the pillars of her family life, so it was little surprise when, in 1984, after finishing high school, it was time for Beylanesh to go to Israel.
She left home with mixed feelings. “On the one hand I wanted to go because it was Israel,” Zevadia remembers, “but on the other hand, to leave my family…I missed them so much.”
She wasn’t the first in her family to leave Ethiopia for Israel – her oldest brother Joseph had gone to Israel in 1957 and returned to teach Jewish studies in Gondar, an occupation that landed him in jail for a time. Another brother, David, made aliyah in 1973. It was David who helped Beylanesh obtain a visa from the Swedish Embassy to allow her immigration.
“Culture shock, of course,” is how Zevadia describes her first weeks and months in her new home. “To find my way wasn’t easy. It was new. Especially when you talk about Ethiopian immigrants, we’re from… a mostly rural, mostly undeveloped area. And to come to Israel which is a mostly developed country, and the language, the culture shock. It’s not easy to assimilate in a short time.”
Like so many other young new immigrants Zevadia, a native Amharic speaker took a crash course in Hebrew at Ulpan Etzion. And then, with Operation Moses, the Israeli government’s airlift of Ethiopian Jews to Israel in late 1984 and 1985, Zevadia went to work for the Jewish Agency, helping smooth the way for the new immigrants whose difficult journeys had left them disoriented and exhausted.
From the Jewish Agency to Hebrew University for a BA in International Relations, then a Master’s Degree in Anthropology and African Studies. And then, in 1993, Zevadia joined Israel’s Foreign Ministry, becoming, at age 25, the first Ethiopian in the Israeli Diplomatic Service.
“When I finished [university], diplomacy seemed very interesting to me,” explains Zevadia. “Because I would be representing the country I love, I could go around and speak on behalf of Israel, representing Israel wherever I go.”
Zevadia brings more than just her intelligence, humor and passion to her work in the diplomatic service. She also brings a new image of what it means to be Israeli to many of the people she meets. Today, the Israeli Deputy Consul General in Houston, Texas, Zevadia travels the Southwest region speaking on behalf of Israel.
“Most people, when they invite an Israeli diplomat, expect to see an Ashkenazi Jew or a Sephardi Jew and here I am, an Ethiopian representing Israel. It’s something unique we can contribute to the country.”
“When I talk to people I say here I am. You may think something different of Israeli diplomats, but here I am. Or if they ask me negative things about Israel – I have an answer. I am the answer. I can tell you my story. I am educated in Israel, I represent Israel and I was born in Ethiopia. That’s what I say.”
Today, there is a second Ethiopian-Israeli diplomat in the Foreign Ministry, a junior diplomat who joined the diplomatic service 13 years after Zevadia, and is now stationed in South Africa.
While she acknowledges that there may be some prejudice against Ethiopians in Israel, Zevadia says she’s never experienced it at the state or municipal level. And she strongly believes that Ethiopian-Israelis must take advantage of government programs, especially educational programs, intended to help career advancement. “Education is the key,” she says from experience. “There are opportunities and we have to use them and we have to push ourselves.”
Zevadia’s diplomatic career brought her to the United States for the first time as a cadet in 1995, when she spent four months at the Israeli Mission to the UN. She describes it as a very good experience despite the fact that, in her words: “it was not easy to be an Israeli diplomat in that environment.”
She returned to the US in 1996 as the Israeli Consul to the Midwest, based in Chicago, where she served until 2002.
Today, living in Texas, Zevadia is often mistaken for African-American or Caribbean. And she’s happy to explain her background to whoever is interested.
She, her husband and six-year-old daughter Lee, are enjoying living in Houston. “It’s a very nice community, it’s very pro-Israel, even among non-Jews. There are things here and there criticizing Israel, but most of the time it’s pro-Israel. So I feel very lucky to be here,” says Zevadia.
Even after nearly three years in Texas, Zevadia is still struck by its scale. “The highways are very big, the houses are very big. But there are no cowboys!” she jokes.
One thing Zevadia says she doesn’t like is the hot, humid weather. But otherwise, she enjoys the city she will call home until 2009 or 2010. And she continues to love her work.
“I most enjoy speaking about Israel, because most of the time people don’t understand what Israel is. In most people’s eyes, Israel is only the conflict. It’s not true. It’s a very diverse culture, very diverse society, and a very developed economy.
“I always say, wherever I go, and wherever I speak, I’m black and Jewish and a woman. Three minority identities. That’s who I am, I represent Israel very proudly, and that’s the message.”
9 thoughts on “Belaynesh: The first Ethiopian-Israeli diplomat”
What a break through.It is a wonderful news for those of us that live in the US and Europe to take an opportunity to further our education and always aim high.It is not impossible to achieve anything.We need to start participating in the political and social process of the State or Country we live in.No more excuses.
I agree Surafel. Where ever we are we have to persevere and succeed in what ever field we are interested in and capable of. But we have to remember we are Ethiopians not Isreali. We are different people, having different culture, interest and place in our region as well as in the world. If we miss this, we will be contributing to our county’s disunity. We have to rise above our earlier misconceptions and confusion. We have to think about it calmly and with composure, base our reasoning on facts and reality.
LIJ SURAFEL
i don’t quite understand where ur surprised came from.
happy to see a sister making it all the way up the ladder. That is why people must understand Israel is not a racist society as some would like to make it look, it is just like other societies but a little fairer.
Belaynesh,
I am so proud of you, sister. As I was reading your story, I went back in time when I was in 9th grade in Gondar, at Haile Selassie I Comprehensive Secondary school. Our classmate announced to us that she decided to go to Israel, and we were all happy for her. The class agreed to throw a farewell party for her. All of us, equally, contributed some money. The principal of the school granted us permission to throw the party in our class room. We normally threw parties on Friday night, and we had the responsibility of cleaning up all our mess; at the end of the party, we left the cement tiles so shiny as if nothing had been going on. The farewell party turned out to be great; we had splendid food and , of course, soft drinks like mirindah, and fanta. We were all getting down on Ethiopian cultural and western dances throughout the night. The next day she is gone, and I never heard from her again. She was one of the brightest kids in my class. I know she will be fine, and might be one of the prominent and good citizens of Israel. I hope all Ethiopian Jews are doing great over there. Those of you who went to Israel earlier might be a great help for those who are newly arriving. Some day, after all this mess is over, with God’s will, we might get together— community to community. After all, we are one under Almighty God.
Dear Belayenesh, I hope you will do some thing good for ethiopia, especially ,1, the duresultan [ ethiipia’s gedam] should be given to ethiopia. 2, ethiopians who are a refugges in israel should be given a resident premitte with out any pre-condition. The Israel govenment has targeted ethiopians in Israel . 3, ISRAEL should stop supporting weyanes and should stand by the ethiopia’s ppl to build geniue democracy. stable, united and strong ethiopia can be a good ally with Israel. so our sister belayenesh, you have high responsibility to re-build the bridge between Israel and ethiopia , which is being damaged by iSRAEL’S GOvernment by attacking Ethiopians and ethiopia’s interst in Israel.All ethiop– israel immigrants must protect ethiiopia’s refugges from Israel’s government deporttaion and should protect ethiopia’s gedams [ dure sultan] which the ISRAEL government is trying to give ethiopia’s gedam to egypt. THese are very sensetive issues which most ethiopians are following up everyday.God bless ethiopia and ISRAEL. AMEN
dEAR EWUNETU YINEGER, YOU CAN CONTACT HER BY TELE. I HOPE MR ELIAS WILL HELP YOU BY FACILITATING HER TEEL. BUT PEALSE RAISE MY ISSUES WHICH I HAVE POST ABOVE . ABOUT ETHIOPIA’S REFUGGES IN ISRAEL AND ETHIOPIA’S GEDAMS [ DURESULTAN] Israel is deproting so many ethiopians back to ethiopia at this difficult time and Israel is trying to give our gedams [ the duresultan] to egypt. The gedams has nothing to do with egypt. the jordan’s government had decided and given to ethiopia when east jerusalem was under under jordan before. The same file is now in the hand of israel’s government.
My daughter, Megan, and I had the pleasure of hosting Belaynesh when she spoke at the University of Arkansas where Megan was president of Hillel during her tenure in Houston. A wonderful, down to earth, beautiful, compassionate lady is Belaynesh. Congratulations to you and your family for yet another achievement. You make me proud to be Jewish!
It is incredible how history is being wiped out before our eyes. My first word was not, Mama or Papa but Jerusalem. Wow.
Whilst we tell the story of Ethiopian jews making it in Israel, we should also remember there are people called Palestnians who are indigeneous to the land but on the verge of being wiped out to make way to this modern day propaganda.