A Bright Spot in Israeli Politics: My Friend Shlomo

In the midst of all the frustration of stalled out peace talks (once again), the biting self-critique of the state of our army and military decision making process in the "Winograd Report," and the general lack of charismatic leadership in the Israeli political pantheon, there are my bright spots.

One of the them is Shlomo Molla, as of yesterday a new member of Knesset, the Israeli parliament. Shlomo replaced Avigdor Yitzhaki, who resigned in wake of the Winograd report. Shlomo is the only Jew of Ethiopian origin in this Knesset, and only the second in history of State of Israel.

Below is Shlomo's formal bio, but let me add a few words. I first met Shlomo in 1988, four years after he arrived in Israel as part of "Operation Moses." Shlomo literally walked to Israel, trekking 600 kilometers across Sudan to reach Israel from Gondar. He saw many fall along the way, and knew little Hebrew when he got here as a teenager. Within four years he was not only fluent in Hebrew (and English), but organized and led the Ethiopian Students Association. I helped organize Shlomo's first trip to the United States (to speak on college campuses), and remember how amazed he was at the skyscrapers (we didn't have those back then in Israel, and certainly not in Gondar...).

What connected Shlomo to me then and now is the belief that through the modern State of Israel we make this world a better place. Sometimes that belief is shaky, and sorely tested, but we [still] believe. Shlomo has devoted his life to the Jewish people and tikkun olam--I am so glad he is now in the knesset, representing not only the success (with all its warts) of the aliya from Ethiopia, but so much more.

I look forward to his service in the Knesset, we are a better people for him being there!

Shabbat Shalom.

Mr. Shlomo Molla (WZO) Board Member

Shlomo (Naguse) Molla  was born in Ethiopia and made Aliyah to Israel in 1984 from Sudan in "Operation Moses". He is a member of the Zionist Executive and heads the WZO Department for Zionist Institutions.   Prior to his current position, Shlomo was the Head of the Ethiopian Division of the Aliyah & Klitah Department in JAFI. In the past he was the Supervisor of Ethiopian Immigration and Supervisor of Absorption Centers and Ulpanim in Northern Kibbutzim; he also served as the Head of the Absorption Center in Tiberias and the Coordinator of distressed population, WUJS.   Shlomo has a LLB Law degree from Kiryat Ono College and a BA in Social Work, from Bar Ilan University . His Volunteering activity included running to the Knesset as a part of the Kadima Party in 2006; he was a  Member of the advisory committee for civilian opposition at the Ministry of Interior; Treasurer of non-profit organization for defense law in Ethiopia; Member of committee to advise Ministry of Health on war conditions and Co-Chair for the Organization of Ethiopian students.   Shlomo Molla is a member of the Board of Governors since June 2006.