The Ethiopian community is currently marking, alongside Jerusalem Day, Memorial Day for the community's Jews who perished on their way to Israel.
In honor of the date, about 40 students from the "Bnei David" preparatory school set out on a three-day trek to Jerusalem for the first time, all simulating the journey from Ethiopia to Sudan and from there to Eretz Israel.
The journey ended today (Sunday) with an exciting ceremony at the memorial to those who perished, which was inaugurated in 2007 on Mount Herzl.
The event was initiated by activists of the Derech Avot preparatory school, which is an affiliate of Bnei David.
This preparatory school is different from the pre-military preparatory school in that it is a unique institution that faces the challenge of strengthening and integrating the Ethiopian community.
"Growth out of a crisis sometimes leads in the direction of life and change" - believes the rabbi, Maj. For its establishment and is intended for young people from the community.
Activists of the mechina during the trip to Jerusalem, Photo: Bnei David
"On the one hand, we, the second generation of parents who immigrated from Ethiopia, do not feel connected to the heritage and identity of Ethiopian Jews, and on the other hand - we also do not feel that Israeli culture accepts and pushes it. .
It is a generation torn between two identities, and hence the identity crisis affects the ability to deal with difficulties and challenges that the army poses for every girl and boy, it was clear to us that the community must be united and represented. "
"Soon, a little more to get up one last effort before Jerusalem" The instructors told the trainees that a particularly exciting week began with a conversation with a fighter who was a liberator of Jerusalem during the Six Day War, continued with a seminar in memory of Ethiopian Jews who perished on their way to Israel. To Mount Herzl.
The march will end with a state ceremony for the victims of Sudan in Jerusalem and the traditional flag dance at the Western Wall.
The purpose of the activity is for the mechina graduates to connect with who they are and to integrate into significant positions in the IDF, with an emphasis on command and officer, and later to fill every possible position for their advancement and the advancement of the state.
When asked why actually produce a preparatory course only for members of the community Rabbi Ngasa responds "Everyone's initial instinct is to say it, and we face this question all the time, but the answer is very simple. After all, everyone knows Ben-Gurion's melting pot and its results. "You can become one thing by erasing uniqueness. When we are told 'let's integrate', we forget that we have a rich and Zionist heritage and a lot to contribute to the state and Israeli society. The test of the result creates a situation where the second generation does not feel belonging."
Derech Avot activists are training for military service,
Tamir Atlai, a trainee from Tirat Carmel, summed up the march to Jerusalem and said: "At a good time, we, the trainees, had the privilege of completing a three-day trip to Jerusalem. The rabbi did not all have the privilege of graduating and thus fulfilling the ancient Zionist vision. "
"We think that thanks to our journey, we feel much more appreciation, closeness and connection to our ancestors and Jerusalem and understand that in order to succeed and advance in life in any field, there is no choice but to look back, to our ancestors, and draw from them these immense powers, which we will help later in life."
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