rom Gondar

Israel's first
Ethiopian-born
diplomat shares her
experience with
U-M students.

ALAN ABRAMS

THE DETR OIT J EWISH NEWS

SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

(e0,0
mesh Zevadia can lay claim to a dou-
'"first.”
..,
Not only is she Israel's first Ethiopi-
orn diplomat, but, as she proudly
is out, she is Israel's first female
opian-born diplomat.
e daughter of a former grand rab-
f the
h Ethiopian Jews, she is the No.
epresentative at Israel's Consulate
neral in Chicago. Ms. Zevadia was 29
when she was appointed vice consul last
August, a choice U.S. posting usually
given to senior diplomats.
The plight of 4,000 Ethiopian Jews —
many of them former converts to Chris-
tianity — still awaiting permission to
emigrate to Israel brought Ms. Zevadia
to Ann Arbor on Feb. 4. Aside from vis-

Belaynesh Zevadia:

A woman of "firsts."