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Esti Almo was born in the
Gondar region of Ethiopia. Her father, who was a student
activist, was forced to flee Ethiopia in 1982
as a result of his participation in campus civil
rights demonstrations. Two years later, four-year-old Esti,
her mother and younger sister were clandestinely brought
to Israel through Egypt, with the assistance of the Mossad
and the Jewish Agency for Israel.
Esti’s family lived for a brief period at the
Jewish Agency’s Lod Absorption Center, after
which they moved to Jerusalem in order for
her mother to study nursing. Esti’s mother
and father are both nurses, and her father
was the first ordained Ethiopian conservative
rabbi. “Education is a very important
value in our family, and my parents always
encouraged us to advance in school.”
Growing up, Esti was the only Ethiopian child
in her school. However, she received a lot of
support from her teachers. As an excellent
student, talented singer and dancer, Esti felt
quite at ease in her school environment. It
was not until her army service as a teacher-soldier
to help new Ethiopian immigrants
learn Hebrew that Esti saw the difficulties
they encountered. This made a lasting
impression on her.
Upon completing her army service, Esti was
a Jewish Agency emissary in Wisconsin, and
spent the summer teaching Hebrew at a
Ramah camp. She stayed in the US for five
months before returning to Israel.
Esti is currently studying photography at
the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in
Jerusalem, and receives a Jewish Agency-supported Student Authority Scholarship.
Upon finishing her studies this year, she will
exhibit her photography, which focuses on
Ethiopian beauty. “My pictures show the
people of Ethiopia, and through them I aim
to raise awareness about Ethiopians and the
beauty of our people.”
“I want Ethiopian-Israelis to connect to their
roots and to themselves, while at the same
time become an integral part of Israeli society.
We need to open up the doors of opportunity
for this community so that they are able to
achieve all that society has to offer.” |
