Learning what it means to be an Ethiopian-Israeli

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 June 20th - Natanel’s Story

On Thursday, June 20th, the other interns and I had the privilege of talking to Natanel, an Ethiopian-Israeli medical student who is a part of the ENP community. Natanel told us about his family’s journey from Ethiopia to Israel as well as his personal experience growing up in Israel. Not only was it eye-opening to hear directly from Natanel about his story, but to see how ENP has made a significant impact on his career and success.


Natanel’s family came to Israel in 1984, walking by foot from Ethiopia, through Sudan, to Jerusalem. The journey Natanel’s parents endured took 3 to 4 weeks to complete. Growing up, Natanel would always go with his mom to the doctor’s office to translate for her. Only speaking Amharic, his mom had great difficulty navigating medical appointments, so Natanel would relay information between his mom and the doctors for years. This routine inspired Natanel to go to medical school, as he fell in love with the medical world acting as a translator for his mom. Natanel, with the support of ENP’s medical school scholarship program, is currently studying to be a doctor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem while also balancing his service in the IDF while being in the reserves. 


Natanel told us about his time in the IDF and how he excelled as a soldier and then talked to us about his identity as an Ethiopian-Israeli. When asked, “When was the first time you remember experiencing racism” Natanel’s response was fascinating. When he was 5 years old, Natanel was playing in his front yard when a police officer approached him asking what he was doing there. Terrified, Natanel explained that he lived in the neighborhood, but the cop did not believe him, forcing Natanel to show the officer where he lived. Natanel and the police officer went to the front door of his family’s home where his parents opened the door, and the situation quickly resolved itself. Following the incident, Natanel’s parents explained to him that sometimes there will be people who try to shake you up or make you feel weaker, but he should never let them interfere with his identity and remain strong. Natanel explained how he really views himself as an Israeli-—he is no different than anyone else who lives in this country because of his skin color and background, and he rarely experienced different treatment for who he is. Natanel’s strong and secure sense of identity was inspiring, and I was so glad to see how ENP has been able to help Natanel achieve his dreams. Thank you, Natanel, for coming to share your story with us!


- Talia Field





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