Raiders of the Lost Ark

Two weeks ago we visited Aksum, home of the legendary Ark of the Covenant. Once a great trading metropolis, it has turned into a dusty city with ancient relics scattered among rubble. Aksum is in the northern province of Tigray, bordering Eritrea. The city was the heart of the Aksumite Kingdom, which at its height controlled territories are far as southern Egypt, east to the Gulf of Aden, south to the Omo River, and west to the Cushite Kingdom of Meroë. Ruins date between the 1st and 13th centuries (UNESCO). Our tour guide Girma told us that only 10% of the ruins have been excavated.

Long after its decline, Aksum has remained a significant religious, political, and cultural center. The Aksumite dynasty adopted Christianity in the 4th century. In fact, Ethiopia is the second country after Armenia to adopt Christianity as its state religion. Today Ethiopian Orthodox Christians come to Aksum to celebrate important holidays and to pray at St. Mary of Zion. They believe the sacred Ark of the Covenant is housed there. Since the Aksumite rulers, Ethiopian emperors have continued to hold their coronation ceremonies in Aksum. The museum at St. Mary of Zion has an impressive collection of crowns and gowns worn by various emperors.

The Countryside of Aksum

The City of Aksum

 

Northern Stelae Field

In Ethiopia the stelae were used as tombstones and monuments to local rulers. Each was sculpted from a single piece of granite from the nearby quarries. The granite was brought to the field where the stelae were then carved and erected. The Northern Stelae Field in Aksum is the largest and most important stelae field in Ethiopia. There are 120 stelae ranging from 1 meter to 33 meters in height.

The Great Stele
It is 33m and believed to be the largest single block of stone humans have
ever attempted to erect. It fell while being erected and has remained in this
position for 1600 years.

The Rome Stele
It is 24.6 meters. It collapsed between 10th and 16th centuries.
In 1937Mussolini ordered the remains to be shipped to Italy where
it was reassembled and raised in the Piazza di Porta Capena.
The stele was finally returned to Ethiopia in 2005.

King Ezana's Stele
The 24 meter stele has remained standing since it was created.
Although now it supported by a crane.

Masoleum

Tomb of the False Door
It is also known as the Tomb of King Ramhai and was built between the
4th and 5th centuries.

Original iron clamp

Stone sarcophagus in the tomb

Archaeological Museum

Tombs of King Kaleb and King Gebre Meskel

King Ezana's Inscription

King Ezana's inscription was found by three farmers plowing their fields in 1981. The tablet describes the military exploits of King Ezana in Sabean, Ge'ez, and Greek. It dates back to the 4th century.

Queen of Sheba's Palace

In Ethiopia the Queen of Sheba is not merely a mythical character but a historic figure. The emperors of Ethiopia trace their descent to Makeda, the Queen of Sheba, and King Solomon. The Kebra Nagast, the ancient Ethiopian account of the origins of the Solomonic line, claims that on a visit to Jerusalem Makeda was seduced by King Solomon.  She bore a son, Menelik, when she returned to Ethiopia.  As an adult Menelik journeyed to Jerusalem to meet his father. Upon deciding to return back to his homeland, Menelik stole the Ark of the Covenant and brought it to Ethiopia, where it has remained. Our tour guide claimed that Menelik did not steal the Ark; rather, the Ark defected to its rightful owner.

Brick oven in the kitchen of the palace 

Gudit Stelae Field
The field is across the street from the palace. It is the supposed resting
place of the Queen of Sheba.

Queen of Sheba's Bath

St. Mary of Zion Churches

Dome and Bell Tower

Entrance to the New Church, which was built by Emperor Haile Selassie
in the 1960s

Interior of the New Church

Altar of the New Church

Water left in the church to be blessed

Beautifully illustrated Bible

The Bible is about 500 years old and is written in Ge'ez

In the foreground is a small chapel built to house the Ark of the Covenant.
The chapel is guarded by a specially chosen priest, and no one else can enter.
In the background is the old church, which was built by Fasiladas in the 17th century.

Cornell Hillel Q&A

I was recently approached by Cornell Hillel to share my experiences abroad working with the JDC. The Q&A can also be found on Cornell Hillel's blog.

Q: What did you study at Cornell?

A: I graduated from Cornell in 2010 with a degree in Policy Analysis and Management.  I focused my studies on consumer policy and received a concentration in Law & Society as well.

Q: What do you miss most about life on campus?

A: I miss so much about Cornell!  It’s hard to know where to start.  I took a lot of great courses and saw some incredible guest speakers.  My favorites were the Dalai Lama, Sandra Day O’Connor, and Nicholas Kristof.  I also miss CTB, hanging out in the Arts Quad, Slope Day, lacrosse games, reading the Daily Sun, and Wegmans.

Q: What inspired you to be involved with Hillel/Jewish life on-campus?

A: During spring break my freshman year, I went on a trip with Cornell Hillel to Montevideo, Uruguay.  I was initially drawn to going because of the building project in the slums, but on the trip I met a number of people who were very active in Jewish life on-campus and learned about the phenomenal programs that are funded by Hillel. These opportunities were not only a great way to meet new people but also to become involved in another facet of Cornell life and contribute to the Jewish community. 

Working with NGO Un Techo Para Mi País, we built a new house for a single 
mother and her children

Q: What was your favorite memory of Hillel/Jewish life on-campus?

A: My favorite memory of Hillel was a trip Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine in July 2008.  The trip turned out to be both meaningful and enjoyable.  I have great-grandparents from Ukraine, and it was my first time in Eastern Europe.  The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) organized the trip.  I was introduced to the JDC’s work in the Former Soviet Union and its three-fold mission of rescue, relief, and renewal.  It was inspiring to see the community in Dnepropetrovsk reviving Jewish life with such enthusiasm after years of repression and censure.  I also met some amazing people, many of whom I’m still close with today.

The Cornell Hillel group

Q: How did you find out about the Jewish Service Corps Fellowship program, and what made you decide to participate?

A: I’ve had a long relationship with the JDC.  I first learned about the JDC my sophomore year of college when Hillel was traveling with the JDC to Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine for a short-term service trip over the summer.  The following semester I studied abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina and volunteered weekly at the JDC Baby Help Center, a day center for babies and toddlers.  I stayed in contact with a JDC staffer from the Ukraine trip, another Cornell, after graduating. 

Then last March I traveled with the JDC again on a young professionals service trip to Istanbul, Turkey and Berlin, Germany.  I met the Jewish Service Corps (JSC) volunteers in these placements and was floored with their jobs and lifestyles.  I went back to New York and found myself sitting in my cubicle thinking about my time in Turkey and Germany.  I quickly realized that I had the rest of my life to be in an office and while I was young, I wanted to be on the ground enacting change.  I had few responsibilities and some time before graduate school, allowing me to pursue a long-term volunteer opportunity like the JSC.

Mark Twain once said, “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.  So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor.  Catch the trade winds in your sails.  Explore.  Dream.  Discover.”  I felt as though the JSC opportunity was a calling that I just couldn’t refuse.  Now that I'm four months into my placement, I haven’t regretted my decision for a second.

JDC Baby Help Center

JDC young professionals service trip to Istanbul and Berlin

Q: What are your responsibilities as a Jewish Services Corps Fellow?

A: I am currently serving as a JSC fellow in Gonder, Ethiopia, a city about 400 kilometers northwest of the capital Addis Ababa.  My work is primarily non-sectarian through the JDC’s International Development Program.  A co-fellow and I teach English to 9^th grade students at Fasiledes General Secondary School, a public school in the city.  We also teach English to children hoping to make aliyah to Israel at the Jewish Agency for Israel’s community center.  While teaching is our main responsibility, we periodically travel to rural schools built by the JDC to write reports on their conditions.  A laptop was recently donated to one of those schools, Shumarjie, and we’ve been visiting weekly to provide instruction on using it.  Lastly, whenever missions visit Gonder we discuss our experiences and insights.  Often we volunteer with them as well.

View of Gonder

JSC Fellows serving in Ethiopia 

We are instructing one of the teachers at Shumarjie, a two-classroom school built by
the JDC, how to use a donated laptop

Q: What is it like working with the Jewish community in Ethiopia?
A: The JDC operates a health clinic for the remaining Felas Mora (Ethiopians of Jewish ancestry) in Gonder. My co-fellow and I have helped with minor projects there such as creating posters with the statistical data from 2011 to hang in the clinic and helping to distribute Plumpy’nut, a ready-to-use therapeutic food, to underweight children and pregnant women.  We have also been able to interact with the community’s youth through our classes at the Jewish Agency.  My class at the Jewish Agency is small, and I’ve enjoyed getting to know my students.  My class is appreciative and enthusiastic.

I find the history of the Beta Israel and Felas Mora fascinating.  While much of it is steeped in legend and shrouded in mystery, I find the narrative of the Ethiopian Jews compelling.  It is a resilient community with a strong will and sense of tradition.  The immigration policy to Israel is very controversial and luckily, we are able to stay out politics.  Being on the ground has provided me with a unique perspective.  In the future, I would really like to visit Israel’s absorption centers and Ethiopian communities to see how well the population has transitioned and adapted to life in a completely different environment.

JDC Health Clinic

My class at the Jewish Agency working on a grammar exercise

Q: How are you continuing to establish your Jewish identity outside of Cornell?

A: I do my best to stay informed about issues in Israel and Jewish communities around the world.  Whenever I am traveling I make an effort to seek out historical Jewish sites.

I’ve also been able to find a Jewish community in Gonder.  Historically, there was Jewish population in the Amhara region of Ethiopia. According to the Jewish Agency, there are currently about 3,000 Felas Mora currently awaiting emigration from Ethiopia to Israel.  The Jewish Agency for Israel runs a community center in Gonder where I’ve been fortunate enough to attend services.  A group of students put on a fantastic skit for Hanukkah, and I am looking forward to upcoming performances.  Every Friday night, my co-fellow and I have Shabbat dinner with a group of Israeli Jewish Agency volunteers and any Jewish tourists in the area.

Q: What do you plan on doing next/does it involve Jewish life?

A: After my JSC placement ends, I will be starting law school at the University of Michigan.  I’m looking forward to graduate school, having routine and structure, and challenging myself in ways that are starkly different from the challenges I have met in Gonder.  After taking time off time to both work and volunteer abroad, I’m prepared for the next phase in my life.

The JDC has impacted my life tremendously over the past few years, and I have developed strong relationships with the organization and its staff.  I plan to be involved with the JDC for years to come.  My time in Ethiopia and experiences with the JDC have reaffirmed my dedication to Chesed Rachamim and Tikkun Olam.  

Next Year in Jerusalem

Last Friday evening we attended a Seder at the Jewish Agency community center. We were accompanied by roughly 1,500 Felas Mora and a number of Israeli tourists. Another 1,500 Felas Mora were celebrating at the Jewish Agency's school. The community's rabbi from Israel came for the holiday as well. We arrived at 5:30 PM and left around 9:00 PM. As we shuffled in, we noticed that each family held a ticket. They gave the ticket to someone in the kitchen who handed each family a large bag with plastic plates, silverware, and cups as well as a few of the foods found traditionally on the Seder plate. After obtaining the bags, everyone sat down on rows of benches or chairs in the community center. It was packed so there was no room to recline, but everyone seemed to be comfortable enough.

The rabbi led Friday night services and then moved into the Seder. He set up his own table in the front. We were given Haggadot in Hebrew and Amharic. The front cover of the Haggadah had a picture of Ethiopians making matzah, and the back cover showed Ethiopians arriving in Israel. The rabbi would say a prayer in Hebrew word by word. The community would repeat each word after him, and then an older man in the community would translate the prayer into Amharic. Unfortunately, because it was Shabbat the rabbi did not use a microphone, and it turned out to be very difficult to hear him. Some of the Israeli volunteers and members of the community went up and down the aisles repeating the prayer and giving instructions in both Hebrew and Amharic.

Young men brought out pitchers of wine and large crates of food at the proper intervals. Many of them were my students! I cannot describe how happy they were to see me celebrating with them. There were potatoes for karpas, an odd mixture of dates and bananas for haroset, romaine lettuce for maror, and hard-boiled eggs for beitzah. We also ate matzah baked locally. Each piece looked like a small, round pita. I was really excited to try it, but when I bit into it, I nearly chipped a tooth! Luckily, the rabbi also brought some matzah from Israel. Rice and meat were served as well. When I left, there was a group of young men and women singing in Hebrew and dancing. It was a joyful celebration, and everyone went home well-fed and content.

Freedom Has Many Difficulties and Democracy is Not Perfect

I recently noticed a fascinating article in The Economist. "A Glass Half Full: Representative Government is Still on the March in Africa, Despite Recent Hiccups" discusses the strides and setbacks of democracy on the African continent. The Economist Intelligence Unit compiles a democracy index annually, ranking 167 countries.  Data from 2011 reveals that Norway is the most democratic and North Korea the least democratic. The United States is 19th, and  Ethiopia is 121st. It appears that the tiny island nation of Mauritius is the only "full democracy" in Africa. Somalia is the only "failed state," and Eritrea is the only state not to hold elections. 

Check out the article at http://www.economist.com/node/21551494.

In a November 2006 speech to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Obama made a very poignant statement about the difficulties of democracy, "the institutions of democracy —free markets, a free press, a strong civil society — cannot be built overnight, and they cannot be built at the end of a barrel of a gun. And so we must realize that the freedoms FDR once spoke of — especially freedom from want and freedom from fear — do not just come from deposing a tyrant and handing out ballots; they are only realized once the personal and material security of a people is ensured as well." Progress is slow, and understanding the past is key to ensuring a secure future.

While Ethiopian is the oldest independent country in Africa and one of the oldest in the world, democracy is an new concept in this ancient land. Historically, Ethiopia was a monarchy. In 1974 a military junta, the Derg, deposed of Emperor Haile Selassie. The dynasty traced it roots back to the 2nd century BC. The Derg established a socialist state and ruled until 1991. During the regime Ethiopia was plagued with bloody coups, rebellion uprisings, wide-scale drought and famine, and massive refugee problems. A constitution was adopted in 1994, making Ethiopia a federal republic headed by a prime minister with a bicameral Parliament and Federal Supreme Court. A year later the country held its first multiparty elections (CIA World Factbook). Ethiopia's government has its flaws, but democracy is young and the country is working toward stabilization.

Walk Like an Ethiopian

To be successful in Gonder and become an honorary Habesha, or Ethiopian, you need to:

• Drink coffee like water
• Add spoonfuls of sugar to your coffee
• Eat the local cuisine skillfully with your right hand only
• Shun the use of napkins at meals
• Avoid the sun with an umbrella
• Balance large, unwieldy items on your heard while walking
• Know the secret handshake
• Live and breathe football
• Support Manchester United or Arsenal
• Idolize Abebe Bikila and Haile Gebreselaisse
• Be a fan of King Fasiladas, the founder and first king of Gonder
• Respect the Queen of Sheba
• Acknowledge the Ark of the Covenant really is in Axum
• Walk defensively  — dodging minibuses, bajajs, and garis; stray donkeys, sheep, goats, and cows; swarms of children; and potholes, trenches, and large piles of cut stones
• Ignore the droning of Muslim and Ethiopian Orthodox services on public loudspeakers
• Use the Ethiopian calendar and clock
• Drive a hard bargain in the Merkato
• Be easygoing
• Impress the locals by breaking out your best eskista at social functions
• Smile

Eye Spy

In countries like the United States and Israel, eye diseases are detected much earlier. When someone has blurred vision, he or she goes to the doctor and receives eye tests. The problem can be solved easily at this point. However, in many developing countries, like Ethiopia, individuals do not receive adequate healthcare or delay care until it is too late. Then a preventable disease, such as cataracts, results in blindness. According to Gondar (Ethiopia) Eye Surgery (GEES), a British charity promoting eye services in Northern Ethiopia, 1.6% of Ethiopia's population is blind and over 3.2% have low vision. Preventable or treatable blindness affects 70% of the blind population and 80% of the low vision population. 

Earlier this year, we interviewed patients at the Gondar University Hospital's Ophthalmology Department and found out that several were from remote areas outside Gonder and had traveled long distances to come to the hospital. They had to seriously consider the opportunity cost of visiting the hospital. One man who came in with his 7-year-old daughter told us that he was an illiterate farmer from the countryside. It was difficult for him to leave his land during the harvest season. In order to make the trip to Gonder, which took 2 days, he had to sell one of his oxen. Another  patient, an elderly monk, had to walk 8 hours by foot from his monastery to the closest town. From there he had to take a four to five hour bus ride to reach Gonder.

It is upsetting to see otherwise healthy children, adolescence, and adults with eye diseases. I see eye disease daily in Gonder. Walking around the city, I notice the men with filmy eyes and wooden walking staffs, the older women being guided by family members, and the younger generation wearing sunglasses. Even at my school there are a handful of blind students. Our school does not have appropriate resources to support the blind students, and these students cannot take mathematics or science courses. GEES claims that 80% of the blind cannot engage in economic activity while they require 10% of the time of a sighted person to look after them.

Last Sunday, Eye from Zion arrived in Gonder. With the support of the JDC, a mission of five Israeli opthalmologic volunteer medical professionals spent a week in Gonder and performed roughly 100 surgeries at  Gondar University Hospital's Ophthalmology Department. The group is an Israeli-Jewish NGO that travels to developing countries to provide free ophthalmological treatments and surgeries.  The organization has been all over the world, including China, Vietnam, Azerbaijan, Myanmar, and Micronesia. The Eye from Zion doctors and nurses work with the local staff, instruct them in modern medical techniques, and provide donation medicine and equipment.

Ari and I helped set up the supply room, unpacking and sorting lenses, instruments, and various materials. We created an inventory of all the supplies. Over the the three days of surgery, we manned the supply room and kept track of the materials being used. We brought materials into the operating rooms and assisted the head nurse Olga. The supply room was connected to the sterile operating rooms so we had to wear scrub gowns, scrub hats, face masks, and clogs. I looked ridiculous, but it was for a good cause after all. We had the opportunity to watch surgeries. At any one time there could be up to four surgeons operating. I avoided the operating rooms as I myself am a four-eyes and couldn't stand to watch the doctors slicing and dicing eyeballs. Ok I'm exaggerating!

One day I had to ask Olga a question so I entered an operating room. To my dismay, I somehow ended up holding part of a small machine a doctor was using to operate. I couldn't avert my eyes; I was staring directly into a patient's eye, the only part of his face that was uncovered. It was actually quite difficult, if not impossible, for my naked eye to see what the doctor was doing. Although, every time I saw a sharp instrument go near the eye, I reflexively winced. The surgeons used microscopes while performing the surgeries. Their precision and skill is remarkable! The surgeries performed restored the patients' sight and will, hopefully, give these men and women a new take on life. Medicine is truly a noble profession. It was a privilege to assist Eye from Zion, even if I was a little squeamish.

The Supply Room

The Waiting Room

The Scrub Room

The Operating Rooms

Jewish Geography

In January we began teaching English twice a week at the Jewish Agency for Israel's community center. The Jewish Agency's work in Gonder revolves around preparing the Fela Moras (Ethiopians of Jewish ancestry) for aliyah and absorption in Israel while the JDC provides medical support for the population through its health clinic. The Jewish Agency runs a primary school with a comprehensive curriculum for roughly 700 children and oversees additional Hebrew, English, and math courses at the community center. Approximately 200 children attend the classes at the community center; many also attend the primary school. There is a revolving group of Israeli volunteers who come to Gonder for a few months to teach at the primary school and community center as well as organize religious and cultural events.

The community center is the religious and social heart of life in Gonder for the Fela Moras. It's a welcoming retreat from the city that is always bustling with activity. We are always greeted by children shrieking "Shalom" and calling us over to test our Hebrew or Amharic, shake our hands, or play games with us. I teach a group of about 10 to 15 young adults. Compared to my classes at Fasiledes General Secondary School, which have 50 to 60 students in each of the classes, the Jewish Agency classes are much smaller and more manageable. This has allowed me to build strong personal relationships with my students and develop an exchange of ideas. My students love learning about the United States, Israel, and Western culture and obtaining my insight. They are inquisitive, enthusiastic, and appreciative. It has been surprising and comforting to find a Jewish community so far from home.

Celebrating Purim at the Jewish Agency Community Center

 

 

Making Hamantaschen (Oznei Haman)