From Ethiopia to Israel’s Knesset

Watch this inspiring video about Israel’s first Ethiopian Jew to be voted into the Israeli Knesset.  Shlomo Mulla was born in a small Jewish village of 40 families in Gondar Province in Ethiopia in 1965 into a family of 9 brothers and 2 sisters. Molla attempted to immigrate to Israel in 1984 on foot, after being overlooked by Operation Moses and Operation Joshua. He was rescued by Israeli forces in Sudan; during his journey in Sudan, one of the Ethiopian Jews traveling with him was shot and killed by Sudanese forces. Upon reaching Israel, he was sent to an immigrant absorption center in Tzfat. Ill with malaria upon arrival to Israel, he learned Hebrew in the hospital. After his national service in the Israel Defense Forces, he studied for a BA in social work at Bar-Ilan University. During his studies he served as co-chairman of the Organization of Ethiopian Students. He later also gained an LLB from Ono Academic College.