Ono Program in Memory of the Ethiopian Jews Who Fell During the Iron Swords War
Ono Academic College’s International Center for the Study of Ethiopian Jewry held a zoom program in memory of the fallen in the Bete Israel community (Ethiopian Jews) to mark the anniversary of the outbreak of the Iron Swords War for its lecturers, students and faculty.
The program’s focus was: The light in the fog: hope in the Bete Israel community during the war.
The program got off to an uncertain start because immediately prior to the beginning of the meeting, a majority of Israelis were sent to the bomb shelters, because Hezbollah fired three ballistic missiles into the Center of the country. Many of the potential participants were late in joining or decided to forgo the program altogether.
Dr. Samuel Schwartz, Director of International Programming at Ono, introduced the speakers and provided a framework for the discussions. He noted that while the post-7.10 reality was shared by the entire country, diverse groups also had particular experiences. For instance, Bete Israel’s losses were well above their percentage in the population. We will explore why this is and how the Bete Israel culture and philosophy equips them with tools of resilience enabling them to deal with and grow from these catastrophes.
Adv. Zeev Kaso, founder and director of Ono’s Program for the Integration of Ethiopian Israeli Students in Higher Education and Society shared stories about the children of four close friends who were killed in the war. Many of the parents told him that the terrible pain of loss is somewhat balanced by the knowledge that their children died protecting their homeland.
Kaso noted that the Bete Israel connection to Israel is incredibly strong, and born of thousands of years of hope and waiting. We can all be inspired by the lessons taught by the bereaved Bete Israel families.
Rabbi Dr. Major Sharon Shalom, founder and director of the International Center for the Study of Ethiopian Jewry at Ono Academic College and a reserve casualty officer in the IDF, shared his experiences comforting bereaved families during the war.
He placed the current suffering and resilience of Bete Israel in the context of other tragedies that befell Ethiopian Jews and told personal stories of how he and his family responded to catastrophe. There is a record of remarkable post-traumatic growth that needs an explanation.
Rabbi Sharon said one reason is the concept of hope which is central to the Bete Israel world view. Another is the “statist” (ממלכתיות) approach of Bete Israel. Ethiopian Jews have tremendous respect for the country. We are so grateful for it and put it above our sectoral interests.
After the lectures, the participants had an opportunity to share their perspectives and ask questions of the presenters.
The program ended with a commitment to attend the next Nova Music Festival, when it will be held again in the South, and a prayer for the success and safety of our soldiers and the speedy return of our hostages.
