A Short Tribute
Kess Wobasht Ayetgav was born to his father Ayetgav Tamnu and his mother Yishvat Alamo in 1906 in Gorba, Gomdar, Ethiopia. As a child, he moved with his family to Ghana, in the province Gundar and from there they moved to Skalet. In Skalet, he married Marom Yellessa and the couple had two children. They earned their living from agriculture, and Kess Wobasht Ayetgav would devote his nights and Sabbaths to learning Torah. In order to further his studies, he left his family for a period of seven years during which he was ordained as a Kess by the priests. Following his ordination, he returned to his family in Skalet and, along with his work in agriculture, served as Kess for his community.
Because of tensions with the Christians in Skalet, he left with his community to the village of Azzo, near the city of Gondar, from where they moved to the big Jewish village of Ambobar. The village, established by young Jews led by Professor Taamrat Immanuel in 1936, during the Italian occupation, served as a spiritual center for all Jews of Gondar; it was the site of the main Sigd festival gathering.
Kess Wobasht Ayetgav established and led the synagogue and children's school in Ambobar, and volunteered in developing infrastructures and in road construction, and also played an active role in establishing the settlement adjacent to the Sudanese border.
In 1972, following the intervention of an American Jew, Meir Levin and with the help of Hezi Ovadia, Kess Wobasht Ayetgav's wife and son immigrated to Israel and settled in the Beit Meir moshav. In 1973, following intense persistence with the government of Israel, Kess Wobasht Ayetgav immigrated to Israel with his family and they settled in a new immigrant center near the city of Ramla. Upon arriving to Israel, Kess Wobasht Ayetgav met with the Rishon LeZion, Maran Hacham Ovadia Yosef, who ruled that the Beta Israel are Jewish for all intents and purposes, a ruling that led to implementing the Law of Return on Ethiopian Jewry.
Kess Wobatch Ayetgav quickly learned the Hebrew language and prayed regularly in the Moroccan immigrants' Rabbi David and Moshe synagogue. His immigration paved the way for many the immigration of his community members, who followed him to Israel. He took care of their integration and served as Kess for the Beta Israel Jews in Ramla. His home was open to all and for years his home was visited by hundreds of young immigration from Ethiopia, for whom he was like a father. Kess Wobasht Ayetgav was one of the founders of the Sigd festival in Israel, the purpose of which in Israel was also to pray for his brethren that remained in Ethiopia and to raise public awareness to the fact. Kess Wobasht Ayetgav took part in the march to Israel's Knesset in order to raise public awareness to the plight of Ethiopian Jews.
Kess Wobasht Ayetgav was laid to rest in 1994. The date of the Hacham's death is unknown to us, and we commemorate it on 7 Adar, the date that our teacher Moses, within whom rest the souls of all the sages of Israel, passed away.
Having no writings of his teachings, we have written up what was said in his name by his children and pupils.
A few quotes from the Rabbi on 'Customs of Israel' in which he teaches devotion to observing customs that do not contradict Halakha.
"For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." After many longings we were privileged to reach the Land of Israel, and from this time we accept the Torah of Israel – the customs and commandments current in the Land of Israel. We need devotion to preserve our customs, that do not contradict the Halakha that is current in Israel, but if there are customs that lie in contradiction, we must accept the Torah of Israel, from which emanates the word of G-d.
Having no writings of his teachings, we have written up what was said in his name by his children and pupils.
A few quotes from the Rabbi on 'Torah Study' in which he teaches that in order to fulfill "and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children" one must fulfill "and [thou] shalt talk of them".
"…and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children" – In order that a person may fulfill the commandment of teaching unto thy children – that children study, one must, oneself, fulfill "and thou shalt talk of them" – one must study Torah, and it is worthy that a person devote the Sabbath and Festivals to Torah study, because of the many daily worries and making a livelihood, we must devote the Sabbath to study and to sacred things.
Having no writings of his teachings, we have written up what was said in his name by his children and pupils.
A few quotes from the Rabbi on 'Tzedakah and Healing' in which he teaches that it is forbidden to take money from people who request a blessing or advice.
"Let your home be wide open" – Every person must open his home and heart to all who approach him. We must see to food for those who request food, we must see to lodgings for those who require lodgings. And we must provide support to those who request it. We must excel in the attribute of compassion. It is appropriate that a person open his heart and home to all those who are needy and willing, see to it that your home is always open to all people, to provide a place to sleep and foodstuffs to those who request them. It is forbidden for a person to take money from people requesting a blessing or sound advice, and if one is nevertheless given money, he should give the money as a donation to charity so that it be distributed to the needy.
Having no writings of his teachings, we have written up what was said in his name by his children and pupils.
A few quotes from the Rabbi on 'Love of Israel' in which he teaches that it is obligatory that all members of the community to help any person in the community.
It is obligatory that each member of the community help any community member who requires assistance. Even if you hate the person requiring assistance you must help him or her, for our strength is in our unity, and we are all sons of one person, members of a single community.
Having no writings of his teachings, we have written up what was said in his name by his children and pupils.
A few quotes from the Rabbi on 'Redemption of Israel' in which he teaches the young generation to learn Amharic, to help the integration of our brethren.
Those of the younger generation who have reached the Land of Israel must to learn our language - learn to speak Amharic, learn to write Amharic. In a few more years (although this may now seem as far off as ever), our brethren from Ethiopia will arrive to the Land of Israel, and will need people to guide them and make their integration easier. Learn how to speak Amharic, so that you, the youth, may be these people who support and offer assistance to our brethren. Even if this reality appears unlikely, I believe with all my heart that all our brothers who are in Ethiopia will earn the merit of coming to the Land of Israel. We must prepare ourselves for this and ensure that their integration take place in the best possible and beneficent way.
Having no writings of his teachings, we have written up what was said in his name by his children and pupils.
A few quotes from the Rabbi on 'Customs of Israel' in which he teaches that we should pray that our brethren in Ethiopia come to the Land of Israel.
The purpose of celebrating the Sigd festival in Israel is to pray that our brethren in Ethiopia be able to come to Israel speedily in our days, and even if the borders appear blocked and the roads difficult, we must continue to pray for this, and to believe that our brethren will all earn the merit of coming to the Land of Israel.
Having no writings of his teachings, we have written up what was said in his name by his children and pupils.
A few quotes from the Rabbi on 'Traditions of the Fathers' in which he teaches how a child may mend his ways, by finding him a guarantor to take him under his wing.
On Motzaei Shabbat the entire extended family comes to the grandparents' home. They sit there for the Bona ceremony and eat Dabo, and meet in a family gathering of sorts. At one stage, the problematic behavior of one of the children, was there such a case, would be described and shared with the grandfather. A look from
Grandfather would suffice to know to mend our ways next time we come, but nevertheless, Grandfather would look for a guarantor – an adult, who was willing to protect that child, and guarantee that he mend his ways.
Having no writings of his teachings, we have written up what was said in his name by his children and pupils.
