Every Day Since: Engu鈥檚 Journey to Safeguard Israel Through Education
The following article contains discussions of traumatic events, including the October 7th attacks, which may be difficult for some readers.
For Engu, life in Israel was the fulfillment of a dream. Born in Ethiopia, she was only five years old when her family emigrated to Israel, carrying with them the hopes of generations who yearned for a Jewish homeland. However, in the wake of the October 7th attacks, Engu 鈥 who had built a thriving career at the Israeli Ministry of Finance 鈥 left everything behind to become a Jewish Agency Israel Fellow, determined to ensure her family鈥檚 dream survives.
That fateful Shabbat morning, Engu woke up to the sound of sirens. She is part of a large, close-knit family, and she was spending Shabbat at her family鈥檚 apartment in Rishon L鈥橳zion, with her mother, sister, niece, and nephew. The sense of calm that had filled the home the night before quickly evaporated as the sounds of rockets echoed through the sky.
鈥淭here was no mamad [bomb shelter] in the apartment,鈥 she recalled. 鈥淲e grabbed the children and ran to the stairwell, hoping it would be over after the first siren. But the sirens kept coming 鈥 every two seconds.鈥
Clutching her niece and nephew in her arms, Engu prayed that they would be safe, that she would be able to return the children to their parents unharmed. Since it was Shabbat, their phones were off and they had no idea what was happening. Finally, her sister checked the news, and they came to understand the full extent of what they were living through: Hamas militants had broken through Israel鈥檚 borders, and a wave of terror was unfolding in real time.
By the end of the day, Israeli soldiers were being called up to serve, and the weight of the tragedy began to sink in. 鈥淗ow do you just go back to work after something like that?鈥 Engu asked. For the next few months, she continued her role working on economic policy at the Ministry of Finance, balancing the logistical demands of keeping the economy running with the emotional toll of the ongoing crisis.
鈥淚t was the busiest and most painful time of my life,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 felt like I had two jobs 鈥 managing my work and holding my team together emotionally.鈥
But as the months passed and her colleagues returned from reserve duty, Engu realized that something had shifted within her. She began to immerse herself in survivor testimonials, photographs, and videos from the attacks. 鈥淚 cried all the time,鈥 she admitted. 鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 understand how people around the world were blaming Israel for what had happened.鈥
It was in this moment of grief and confusion that Engu knew she had to take action.
Scrolling through Facebook one day, Engu stumbled upon a post from the Jewish Agency advertising a position as an Israel Fellow. It struck a chord. 鈥淚 knew that sharing Israel鈥檚 history and culture with students abroad was what I needed to do,鈥 she said. Engu felt that as an Israel Fellow she would have the opportunity to tell Israel鈥檚 story and combat the misinformation and hatred towards Israel that she was reading about online.
Yet leaving her job was no easy decision. Her family, who had always supported her career, struggled to understand her choice. 鈥淭here was this expectation for me to stay, to work, and to settle down,鈥 Engu explained.
But for Engu, the decision was deeply personal. Her family鈥檚 dream had always been to reach Jerusalem, to build a life in Israel. 鈥淚f Israel goes away, then that dream goes with it,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 let that happen. I had to go where I could use my voice to speak up for Israel.鈥
Now, Engu serves as an Israel Fellow on a university campus in the United States, teaching students about Israel in an increasingly hostile environment. The work isn鈥檛 easy.
鈥淭hings were challenging right at the beginning,鈥 she explained, recalling the pro-Palestinian demonstrations that greeted students at the start of the academic year. 鈥淚t was the first thing the first-year students saw when they arrived.鈥
Engu finds the ongoing grief of her work to be the most challenging part of her role. 鈥淲henever something happens in Israel, I feel alone in my own mourning,鈥 she said. While her students and colleagues participate in vigils and share moments of solidarity, Engu carries the weight of these tragedies long after the events have ended.
Despite the challenges, Engu remains hopeful. 鈥淚 am here to understand the students and their feelings, and to make an impact in my own way. I have faith that it will happen,鈥 she said.
As Israel faces mounting challenges, Engu鈥檚 determination to protect the dream her family carried with them from Ethiopia burns brighter than ever. She knows the road ahead will be difficult, but for her, it鈥檚 the most important work she could be doing.
Every Day Since is a series of original stories about the impact of October 7 on Jewish students and professionals on campus. Learn more about Eyal, a Jewish Agency Israel Fellow who came to the United States to connect with Jewish college students, and about Abi Schcolnik, an international student and co-chair of 黑料传送门鈥檚 student cabinet, who is working to combat antisemitism on campus following October 7.