December 3, 2008 / 6 Kislev 5769

Scholarships for excellence in memory of Yalamo Yasmao – the lone soldier from Ethiopia killed during the Second Lebanon War – were awarded on Monday, December 1, to outstanding pupils in the KEDMA program who are members of Ethiopian community. Attending the ceremony were the heads of the I.D.B. Corporation and the Deputy Director General of the Jewish Agency, Moshe Shif.

The scholarships to promote excellence among young Ethiopian olim, who study at the Jewish Agency's KEDMA program, were part of a special donation from Makhteshim Agan, a member of the IDB group headed by Nochi Dankner.

The IDB Corporation decided that for the scholarships will be awarded in memory of the late Yalamo Yasmao, a graduate of the KEDMA program who fell during the Second Lebanon War. Yalamo had not seen his mother since he immigrated to Israel. Half a year after he was discharged from regular army service he planned a trip to Ethiopia to visit her, but in those very days the Second Lebanon War erupted and he decided to cancel his planned trip so he could be called up for reserve duty. He was killed on August 8, in the course of an exchange of fire in southern Lebanon. He was 26 years old when he died.

He immigrated to Israel in 2001 together with his sister Azmara. He was absorbed at the Jewish Agency's San Diego - Ibim Student Village in Shaar Hanegev and joined the KEDMA program. At the end of his course of study, he was inducted into the IDF and served in the elite Golani brigade.

Scholarships in the amount of $1,000 per student were awarded to ten outstanding students of the Jewish Agency's KEDMA program (KEDMA is a Hebrew acronym that means promoting personal responsibility)  from all parts of Israel. The 12 month long program, is geared to Ethiopian immigrants aged 17-26. It comprises studies in Judaism, Hebrew, mathematics, computers and English and is complimented by an expanded cultural basket and preparatory workshops for higher education and integration in the employment market.

The scholarship award ceremony took place, on Monday, December 1, at 4 p.m. at the Makhteshim Agan plant in Beersheba on Saadia Malal Street . Participating in the ceremony were the outstanding KEDMA program students from all parts of Israel with Moshe Shif, the Deputy Director General of the Jewish Agency and David Nir, the CEO of Makhteshim Agan in attendance.