The IDC

Student Barouch Awaaka receives his brand new Fujitsu laptop from Izik BenBenisti, the CEO of Bezeq Bein Leumi while IDC Founder and President, Prof. Uriel
Reichman looks on proudly. Bezeq Bein Leumi donated 14 laptops to the Israel at Heart Ethiopian Scholarship Program at IDC
is beyond them and could affect their schoolwork. “There is no special
formula or magic potion or miracle,” says David. “As much effort as they
put in will be as much as they get out. The worst thing for a student is to
lose focus and to be disorganized, and so we make them fully aware that
IDC is a family and that if they need anything or face any problem, we are
here to help them overcome that.”
She also tells them to never say “no” to any opportunity that presents itself:
“I’m always afraid that by third year they’ll open their eyes and find that
they have not utilized all that is available here. I always encourage them to
‘go with the flow’ because they have nothing to lose and they never know
where that experience will lead them.” This very attitude is what encouraged
one first year student to accept the Student Union’s offer to be one of the
IDC-Castro fashion show models during her third week on campus.
In David’s eyes, these students have truly been given a blessing in being
able to study at IDC: “I always tell them that their bachelor’s degrees are
better than my master’s because here they get the experience of networking
with people who are going to be their corporate peers in later years, and
the opportunity to be exposed to them now really is something special.”
Joey Low, the founder of the Israel at Heart program, reiterated that the
idea of the program’ was to help those young Ethiopian Israelis who could
become the role models for their community and at the same time help
“IT’S AMAZING FOR US TO HAVE
SENT OUR GRADUATE STUDENTS
INTO LEADING ISRAELI COMPANIES
WITHIN TWO OR THREE MONTHS OF
LEAVING IDC”
- Ester David, IDC Ethiopian Scholarship Program coordinator
18 < IDC Winter 2010
“OUR EFFORT TO FIND GAINFUL
EMPLOYMENT FOR THESE
GRADUATES SPEAKS FOR ITSELF”
- Jonathan Davis, IDC Vice President of External Relations
dispel many false stereotypes among the general Israeli society about the
Ethiopian community. He noted that Prof. Reichman encouraged him to
strive ahead with this program from the very first moment, and also that
this program would not be where it was today if not for Jonathan Davis,
who has put his heart, time, energy and passion into lobbying and doing
whatever he can, to assist the many students.
“Only at a place like IDC could a program like ours be launched, nurtured
and grown into a model of how Ethiopian Israeli students could effectively
be integrated into Israeli society,” says Low. “There is no doubt that this
is what IDC is all about: The Zionist vision of being a home to all Jewish
people and encouraging them to be the best they can be so that Israel can
be a guiding light to all nations.”
Many generous benefactors from Israel and around the world have gone out
of their way in order to support this worthy cause – The major benefactors:
Atidim; The Israel Student Authority; The Low Family Foundation; The
Chais Family Foundation; The Rochlin Foundation; Benjamin & Dorit
Genet – “The Marty Genet Scholarship Fund”- via The Broward County
Jewish Federation; Mark and Carol Lederman; The United Israel Appeal
of Canada; The New York Jewish Federation; The Dorset Foundation; The
Bluston Charitble Settlement; Nitza Kanfer; The Benny and Petsi Landa
Foundation; Colmobile Ltd.; Toyota Ltd. Many thanks to “Olim Beyahad”
that plays a critical role in finding employment for the graduates of this
program.
- Lara Greenberg