Newsletter of September 2014

DIPLOMATIC AGENDA
NEWSLETTER
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September 2014
EMBASSY OF ISRAEL to Ethiopia, Rwanda & Burundi
Alemu Aga at Jerusalem Sacred Music Festival
J
erusalem – Alemu Aga, the
renowned Ethiopian musician,
singer, and master of the Begena
sacred musical instrument, visited
Copyright: SONGLiNES.co.uk
Israel in September as a guest and a performer at the
Jerusalem Sacred Music Festival.
Alemu, after returning from Israel, said to The Daily
Monitor newspaper that “I say Israel, Jerusalem was
the best. We Ethiopians claim Begena used to be
played by King David. Going there and performing
on the tower of David was very incredible experience
for me.” He added, “I have good memories from all
the places but I see the Jerusalem performance in a
different way because it is a place that I mention in my
Begena songs every day. I have visited the holy places
and played there too. I was speechless.” The embassy
will start collaboration with Alemu Aga in a special
performance during Chanukah.
Collaborating with the Safe House: Yoga and Live Music
A
ddis Ababa – Our Cultural
Affairs Director, the musician
Monica Manaker, has been invited
to perform in a very special Yoga,
Live Music, Love and Light Class
to support The Safe House, a local shelter for girls
and women. Monica performed live music playing
instruments and sharing warm, expressive vocals.
Some weeks later, Monica performed for the girls and
women at the shelter itself.
DIPLOMATIC AGENDA
NEWSLETTER
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September 2014
EMBASSY OF ISRAEL to Ethiopia, Rwanda & Burundi
Jerusalem Prize awarded to outstanding personalities
A
ddis Ababa – On eve of Rosh
Hashanah (the Jewish New
Year), our Embassy awarded the
Jerusalem Prize to six Ethiopian
citizens who worked hard to
give dignity and hope to their
people. The six have made
admirable
accomplishments
working in cooperation with Israeli
organizations and have had unique
Israeli experience in doing so. A
double celebration, honoring our
guests and the Jewish New Year,
took place on September 21st
at the Ambassador’s residence.
The Jerusalem Prize went to: Dr.
Ahmed Reja, Dr. Bogalech Gebre,
Prof. Redda Haimanot, Ms. Siddise
Buli, Ms. Hanna Girma, and Dr. Yirga
Gebregziabher.
Our Deputy Chief of Mission,
Leo Vinovezky, congratulated
Dr. Ahmed Reja, from Black Lion
Hospital of the Addis Ababa
University College of Health
Sciences for winning the Prize for
his inspiring work saving the hearts
and the lives of many children in
Ethiopia in full cooperation with
the Israeli Save A Child’s Heart
(SACH) humanitarian organization.
As well, our Embassy congratulated
Prof. Redda Tekle Haimanot, for
winning the Jerusalem Prize. Prof.
Redda studied medicine for six
years at the Hadassah Medical
School of the Hebrew University
in Jerusalem. He later created an
inspiring partnership with Dr. Udi
Katzenel from Kaplan Hospital in
Leo and Dr. Ahmed
Israel establishing an NGO named Grarbet Tehadiso
Mahber to cater for persons with physical disabilities,
epilepsy, visually impaired, etc.
Similarly, our Embassy extended its pleasure to hand
the Jerusalem Prize to Mrs. Sidisse Buli, Director of
AHOPE Ethiopia –– an Ethiopian charity organization
which pioneered the provision of specialized care to
destitute HIV positive orphans and vulnerable children
and families. Sidisse has been working for many years
with Prof. Daniel Engelhard from Hadassah Hospital
in Jerusalem, Israel, in full cooperation with ART-JoyLove which is a volunteering program in orphanages
in Ethiopia and Uganda.
(Left to right) Prof. Redda Teke Haimanot, Monica Manaker, Dr. Udi Katzenel,
Leo Vinovezky at GrarBet Hospital
DIPLOMATIC AGENDA
NEWSLETTER
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September 2014
EMBASSY OF ISRAEL to Ethiopia, Rwanda & Burundi
Ambassador Belaynesh and her Deputy Leo with Mrs. Sidisse Buli and Ato Mengesha Shibru from AHOPE Ethiopia
The Embassy of Israel to Ethiopia
also congratulated Dr. Bogalech
Gebre for her active work against
harmful traditional practices of
female genital mutilation (FGM)
mostly prevalent in rural Ethiopia.
Dr. Bogalech co-founded an
indigenous
Resident
Charity
Organization – KMG-Ethiopia
– aiming to help create an
environment where the values and
rights of women are recognized
and their talents and wisdom are
nurtured for the overall betterment
of the lives of both men and
women.
This year’s Jerusalem Prize other
awardee is Dr. Yirga Gebregziabher
from NALA Foundation (an Israeli
non-profit organization fighting
against Tropical Diseases and AIDS).
Representing OSSA-Tigray (NALA’s
partner organization in Ethiopia),
Dr. Yirga and Mr. Ben Katzir, said
on the occasion that this event
signifies a generous gesture on our
Embassy’s part in partnering with
NALA’s team in Ethiopia and Israel
to further reinforce the joint Health
Education Program in Tigray.
(Above) Dr. Bogalech Gebre with DCM Leo; (Below) with Amb. Belaynesh
(Left) Ambassador Belaynesh with Dr. Yirga and Ben Karzir;
(Right) Dr. Yirga and DCM Leo Vinovezky
DIPLOMATIC AGENDA
NEWSLETTER
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September 2014
EMBASSY OF ISRAEL to Ethiopia, Rwanda & Burundi
DCM Leo Vinovezky delivers President’s message to communities
abroad
A
ddis Ababa – For the occasion of Israel’s New Year
celebration – Rosh Hashanah – at the Synagogue
in Addis Ababa, our DCM, Leo Vinovezky, delivered
President of Israel’s message to the communities
in attendance. President Reuven Rivlin said: “With
the kidnapping and murder of the four teenagers:
Naftali, Gilad, Eyal and Muhammad; and the ongoing
campaign in southern Israel in the background, the
citizens of Israel and their leaders were faced with
difficult dilemmas: the responsibility to defend our
homes and land, alongside the concern of harming
innocent people; the commitment to enable a free
democratic dialogue, versus the need to set clear
limits to restrain manifestations of inflammatory
behavior and incitement. The resilience of Israel is not
based on its military strength, but emanates from the
liberal, democratic and Jewish values on which it was
founded.”
IDF delegation visits and tours Ethiopia
A
ddis Ababa – Our Embassy
was honored with the visit of
the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF)
delegation to Ethiopia. We held
a warm reception for them at the Ambassador’s
residence where they talked about their experiences
and feelings in this meaningful field trip.
DIPLOMATIC AGENDA
NEWSLETTER
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September 2014
EMBASSY OF ISRAEL to Ethiopia, Rwanda & Burundi
Visiting Ethiopian Magical Farm
S
endafa – Thanks to the owners
Ora and Daniel Ben Tora, our
Embassy staff, DCM Leo Vinovezky
and MASHAV envoy Ofer Kahani, along with local
authorities have visited the Ethiopian Magical Farm
located in Sendafa, specializing in growing flowers.
Cooperation talks at the Embassy of The Netherlands
A
ddis Ababa – Our DCM Leo
Vinovezky
and
MASHAV
Agriculture Attache Ofer Kahani
visited Dutch colleagues – Heuvel,
Hans-vanden and Joep van den
Broek – to discuss cooperation
projects on water and agriculture
issues.