page_title: Yona Bogale
section_title: Legacy
hierarchical_section_title: Yona Bogale / Quest for Aliyah / Legacy
caption_attribution_description: English: Translation of Potuguese histiorical work One
context_page_description: Yona Bogale was an Ethiopian Jewish educator and public figure, who served as the director of the Beta Israel education network in Ethiopia and worked vigorously for the immigration of Ethiopian Jews to Israel. He led the efforts to improve the living conditions of the Beta Israel in Ethiopia by expanding education, providing medical facilities, increasing agricultural production and promoting religious freedom. His persistence in the face of opposition enabled many thousands of his people to fulfill their lifelong dream of Aliyah, or return to the homeland of Israel.
context_section_description: Because of his devotion to his people and his persistence in freeing them from oppression, Bogale has often been compared to  Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr. and Theodor Herzl.  In addition to his life’s work of returning the Beta Israelis to their homeland in Israel, he was a prolific author, editor and translator. Among other works, he published  A "Falasha" Book of Jewish Festivals, an Amharic translation of portions of Pirke Avot and other prayer books, a Hebrew-Amharic dictionary, and translations of two 16th Century history books--all  intended to give those Ethiopian Jews who were not proficient in Hebrew, access to books in their native tongue, as well as the means to learn the language of their religion. Fluent in Hebrew, Yiddish, English, French, Italian, German, Tigrinya, Oromia, Geez and Amharic languages,  he introduced the Beta Israel community to the first Hebrew-English-Amharic calendar, published every year from 1954 to 1978.  Bogale was an early proponent of Ethiopian Jews praying in Hebrew instead of the ancient Semitic language, Ge'ez,  as he felt that it was no longer appropriate for those seeking to be a part of the broader Jewish community. However, he did think that Hebrew prayers could be set to Ethiopian Jewish melodies to   preserve some liturgical traditions of the Beta Israel community. Examples of Bogale's work and one of his awards appear below:                            
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  Bogale's life and work are depicted in a 2009 Israeli documentary "I had a Dream - The Story of Yona Bogale" by  Tizita Germay. He is the subject of many articles, essays and other publications, including two biographies by his son, Zecarias Yona: Yona Bogale and the Case of the Beta Israelis (Amharic), and Yona Bogale: Hero and Savior of the Ethiopian Jews (English)
  1985 recipient of the Oat Hanegid , the Israeli Knesset's highest award, for service to Beta Israel, presented by Shlomo Hilel, Knesset president. (As Minister of the Interior in 1977, Hilel was instrumental in passing the resolution that Ethiopian Jews can emigrate to Israel under the Law of Return.
  2020 proclamation, dedicating streets named for Yona Bogale in Rishon LeZion, Israel.
  2007, the Rehovot City Council voted to name a local school after Bogale.;
  During the celebration of Israel’s 60th Anniversary in 2008, a special tribute paid by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert  to Yona Bogale and the Ethiopian community.
caption: Translation by Yona of a  16th Century Portuguese history, Be Atse Libne Dinguel Zemene Mengest (The Government in the Era of Emperor Lebna Dengel)
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