N.E.W. Nishmat Ethiopian Women
Tigist Iyov

Tigist Iyov, enrolled in N.E.W’s Pre-College Program in 2016 She was drawn to the idea of dedicating a year to studying Judaism, personal growth and college readiness but didn’t think it was attainable until she heard about Nishmat’s Ethiopian Program. In addition to participating in Nishmat’s Ethiopian Heritage classes, Tigist served as a counselor in Nishmat’s Midreshet Masa- which, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, sends teams of Nishmat Ethiopian Israeli students to middle and high schools throughout Israel to educate younger teens about navigating Ethiopian-Israeli dual identity and combatting racism. Nishmat’s advancement program set Tigist on the path to academia. She recently graduated Bar-Ilan University with a B.A. in Social Work.
Tigist’s sisters followed in her footsteps; Rivka attended Nishmat last year and is currently studying Nursing and Bortukan is a current N.E.W. Pre-College student. Tigist is thrilled that she and her sisters have been able to share the Nishmat experience—growing through Jewish text study, Ethiopian identity building, and academic advancement. “Our parents taught us by example to maintain a strong connection and have faith in our Jewish traditions. Now, thanks to Nishmat, we’ve been able to expand our Torah knowledge.”