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An Ethiopian emigre brings a fund-raising project closer to home.
LISA BARSON
Special to the Jewish News
0
ver platters of cabbage,
lentils and spinach, Seifu
Lessanework told his
story.
As a young boy in rural
Ethiopia, his father was selected to
work as a tanner for the king. The
family moved to the capital, Addis
Ababa.
Raised in a relatively privileged
lifestyle, Lessanework wore a cross
around his neck in order to be
allowed to attend school. But on
the way home each day, he
removed the cross in time for his
mother to remind
Above left: Stacey
Since 1984, more
Schwartz of
him: We are Jewish.
than 50,000 Ethiopian
Birmingham enjoys the
At the Blue Nile
Jews have been
Blue Nile.
restaurant in
brought to Israel.
Greektown on March
Many were saved from
Insert: Dawn Sherr and war, famine and perse-
30, 50 young adults
Kimberly Rubin, both of cution in the secret
absorbed
Lessanework's words as West Bloomfield, clean
mass airlifts of
their hands with hot
they mopped up
Operation Moses in
towels.
Ethiopian specialties
1984 and Operation
with flat bread at his
-
Solomon in 1991.
restaurant. Organized by the
Seifu Lessanework left Ethiopia
Ethiopian Project of Jewish
earlier, but never left his fellow
Federation's Young Adult Division,
Jews behind. After graduating high
the event highlighted the unique
school, he earned a highly competi-
programs in Israel sponsored by the
tive spot 'as one of just 1,200 stu-
Ethiopian Project with funds raised
dents in Ethiopia's only university.
in metro Detroit.
With his college degree in hand,
.
Related stories: pages 15 17
-
Lessanework got a job with Hilton
Hotels and moved to Israel.
After a few years, he got home-.
sick and returned to Addis Ababa.
In Ethiopia, Lessanework found
conditions worsening for Jews, and
he became involved in the under-
ground Jewish movement. This
took him to Montreal and eventu-
ally New York, where he worked
tirelessly to help Ethiopian Jews
emigrate to Israel, sometimes
bringing them all the way to the
United States before they could go
eastward, home to Israel.
Since then, Lessanework has
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2000
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