Ethiopian-Israelis Achieve their Dream :Two innovative college programs are making inroads in preparing Ethiopian-Israelis for professional careers.
Ethiopian-Israelis Achieve their Dream
By Abigail Klein Leichman Israel21c
Ethiopian-born Tal Checol came to Israel at age 12. His schooling was spotty, and when he finished the army in 2002, college didn’t seem likely. However, that September he was accepted into the first class of a program for Ethiopian-Israeli students at Ono Academic College in Kiryat Ono, a Tel Aviv suburb.
Now 34, Checol is a lawyer in private practice. “They let me achieve my dream, and gave me the money I needed to do it,” he tells ISRAEL21c.
Thanks to visionary college programs like this, Checol is among hundreds of Ethiopian-Israelis setting a new standard in a community of some 130,000 that began arriving in Israel in 1984 from a simple agrarian society. The community still experiences high poverty, dropout and unemployment rates, but innovative higher education opportunities are making significant inroads.
Jerusalem College of Technology
The first program for this population began in 1998 at the Jerusalem College of Technology (JCT), where students complete dual academic and Judaic courses of study.
Yafa Marsha earned a degree in law at Ono Academic College
Ethiopian-Israelis Achieve their Dream.
“Education for Ethiopians” prepares participants for careers in fields such as engineering, computer science, biotech and nursing on JCT’s separate campuses for men and women.
Stuart Hershkowitz, senior adviser to the JCT president, tells ISRAEL21c that 64 women and 74 men are currently enrolled, and mainstreamed into the general student body. About 90 percent must first complete a year-long prep course.
With the help of several foundations, the Jewish Agency and the government, JCT provides them free tuition and board, free tutoring, bus fare to go home on weekends (few live in Jerusalem) and twice monthly get-togethers. A dedicated counselor, Adi Yones, helps them navigate the unfamiliar academic and social landscape.
“Adi is a graduate of the program’s first years and is like a big brother to the students,” says Hershkowitz. “As a result, we have an extremely low dropout rate. And our graduates have a 100% placement record in their chosen professions, which is unusual. They’re very serious students.”
A large percentage of the men in the program have also been selected for Atuda, the Israel Defense Forces’ Academic Reserve, which allows them to complete their degree prior to active service utilizing the skills gained in college.
“This has nothing to do with affirmative action,” Hershkowitz stresses. “There are no breaks for Ethiopians at all. They have to earn Atuda like anyone else, and that is amazing since most are coming from a non-academic family background.”
There are 64 women in the JCT program
Yones tells ISRAEL21c that many of the men and women he counsels were raised in great hardship, yet they excel when given proper support. “The program has changed a lot of lives,” he says.
One young man tried five times to get into Atuda and was finally successful after taking the JCT prep course. He ended up switching from computer science to a more demanding major in engineering. Others have found their niche in aerodynamics, physics or electro-optics.
“Even students with a lot of potential cannot do well if they have the worries of putting food on the table,” Yones says. “The financial, social and academic support makes all the difference.”
Ethiopian-Israelis Achieve their Dream
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