The First Helping Hand
JCT was the first of Israel’s leading institutions of higher education to take up the challenge of helping students from the Ethiopian community obtain degrees in the fields of science and engineering. The program includes Ethiopian women who study at JCT’s Women’s School of Engineering in Machon Tal.
Rachel Agmas, 26, originally from a small village on the outskirts of Gonder, north-west Ethiopia, is one of over 300 students studying nursing. The course is challenging – it’s not for nothing that the first two groups of graduates achieved the highest average score of any Israeli nursing school in the National Nursing exams – but Rachel has the mettle to succeed. “Before beginning my studies, I spent three years in the army, graduating as an officer. My work included integrating new immigrants and, later, conducting programs for other officers to raise awareness and understanding of the many different cultures that make up Israeli society,” says Rachel. She points out, interestingly, that the anthropologists who came to lecture on Ethiopian culture gave her a window into values and traditions she had chosen to push to the side in her determination to fit into Israeli culture. “I’m naturally shy, but my responsibilities in the army gave me the self-confidence to believe I can succeed in nursing school,” she says. Rachel was attracted to Machon Tal not only because of the high academic standards, but also because she wanted to deepen her Jewish studies. “I was always committed to tradition, but these studies have brought me to a different level,” she says.
Rachel is quick to point out that Machon Tal offers much more than just studies. As well as helping eligible students organize the grants they need to finance their studies, the school works to inculcate a love of the land of Israel and ensure social bonding. “Machon Tal cares for us,” says Rachel. “On a beautiful trip to the north of Israel, we had a chance to relax and bond together as a group.” In addition, a special evening was held to mark Sigd (a festival celebrated by Ethiopian Jews fifty days after Yom Kippur in which the community rejoices at the renewal of the alliance between the people, God, and His Torah). “We’re not just in a university here,” says Rachel. “The staff has a personal connection with the students.”
Thanks to this and other programs, JCT is building a community of hi-tech scientists and engineers and transforming the image of Ethiopian immigrants throughout Israel. To date, over 250 students have entered the program and 96 students have graduated and gone on to work as officers in the Israeli army, electronic engineers, accountants, communications specialists, and other positions.
* * * * *
JCT At A Glance
JCT, founded in 1969 by Professor Zeev Lev (William Low), offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees, fully accredited by the Council for Higher Education in Israel (the main authority overseeing Israel’s academic institutions), in programs including electro-optics, high-tech engineering, industrial management and life and health sciences. Unlike other educational institutions in Israel, JCT comprises several schools, each catering to a different demographic group by offering educational programs tailored to the specific needs of that group. Five separate campuses offer programs customized to meet the individualized needs of the Ethiopian community, the chareidi community, the English speaking community, and students currently serving in the Israel Defense Force. JCT’s plethora of degrees, coupled with its programs of Jewish studies, make it possible for students from observant backgrounds to obtain an academic degree while continuing their Jewish studies. Over 4,000 students are currently enrolled in JCT, with a faculty of over 500 professors, instructors and researchers.