UIA First Person
The Jewish Agency helps build a better Israel,
one life at a time.

Tzachi's Story. Who am I? How do I fit in? Will I ever be accepted as a 'real' Israeli? Tzachi's life, since the night he was airlifted from Ethiopia to Israel with his family in '91, had become increasingly out of control. Violence; alcohol abuse; self-esteem that couldn't be any lower. Then Tzachi came to Yemin Orde's "Mechina" program. And for the first time, he began to believe in himself.

A quiet social revolution is underway at the Mechina program in Hatzor Haglilit made possible through Jewish Agency funding. Immigrant youth like Tzachi, socially at-risk Israeli teens who have little chance of being accepted into the top army units or of experiencing meaningful army service, are being empowered to successfully integrate as responsible members of society.

In the first weeks of the program, Tzachi was forced to attend classes where he defiantly went to sleep. It was questionable whether he could remain in the program, let alone serve in the army.

By the beginning of the second month it became clear that Tzachi was exceptionally articulate and excelled in sports and in fitness. He was given new responsibilities outside the class and began to thrive on meeting new challenges. Tzachi not only successfully completed the program, he volunteered to serve in the IDF Paratroopers Brigade, one of the army's elite units, where he was seen as the rising star of the Brigade. Tzachi has been serving for the past year as a non- commissioned officer working with new recruits in the Brigade, and has been selected for an Officers Training course.

To date, there are but a handful of Ethiopian combat officers in the IDF. "My dream," explains Tzachi "is to serve as an officer in an elite combat unit." Not only does no one doubt that his dream will become a reality, Tzachi is well on his way to becoming one of the leading forces in the Ethiopian community in Israel, serving as a positive role model for hundreds of new recruits to the IDF.


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