On World Refugee Day, we celebrate the richness and diversity of refugee cultures in Israel, as well as their contribution to the host country. This year’s global message is “Everyone has the right to seek safety and protection.”
UNHCR marked World Refugee Day 2022 in Israel with a celebration held on the Bialik Rogozin campus, which included the launch of a book written by the students, a musical performance, speeches and the reading of selected testimonies from the book written by the students.
Damtew Dessalegne, UNHCR’s representative in Israel, gave opening remarks at the event, followed by selected readings from the book “Going Far,” which includes the testimonies of six Eritrean girls, high school students, who recounted their experiences they went through on their journey from Eritrea to Israel at an early age. In addition to the readings there were short musical performances by the musical duo Lily and Taunton Kalupe from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Many guests were present, among them: representatives of the refugee communities, Haaretz literary correspondent Vered Lee, who hosted the event, Knesset Member Ibtisam Mara’ana, who worked extensively on behalf of asylum seekers in her capacity as chair of the Foreign Workers Committee in the Israeli Knesset, journalist Einat Fishbein, publisher of “Hamakom Magazine”.
The event was filmed in full and edited and can be viewed Here.
Attached is as a printable file – original copy of the book “Going Far”, the book was published through “Hamakom” magazine, with support of UNHCR Israel. Download to read the moving testimonies of the six girls: Erasma Taama, Sinit Moses, Yusan Abrahlum, Sham Angusum, Mary and Ariem. These testimonies were edited by Osnat Winkler-Rapoport, the girl’s literature teacher at the Rogozin Campus, who initiated and led the unique writing workshop.
Featured photos from the event
Jalal Tohi, Bialik Rogozin Campus Director
Lily and Tonton Kalupa, a musical duo from the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Salam, Amit and Mehrat from Eritrea, performing traditional coffee ceremony and prayer
Damtew Dessalegne, UNHCR representative in Israel
MK Ibtisam Mara’ana, Chairperson of the Foreign Workers Committee of the Israeli Knesset
Osnat Winkler Rapoport, literature and history teacher at the Bialik Rogozin campus
Kubrom Tewolde, representative of the Eritrean community, interpreter and cultural mediator, and employee of the Hotline for Refugees and Migrants
Einat Fishbein, journalist and publisher of “Hamakom” magazine
Yusan Abrahalom reads an excerpt from her testimony in the “Going Far” project
The six Eritrean girls whose immigration testimonies appear in the collection “Going Far,” joined by guests and family members
