Ferede Aklum
{{Short description|Mossad agent and Zionist activist}}
{{Infobox person
|name = Ferede Aklum
|native_name = אקלום פרדה
|image = Ferede Aklum.jpg
|caption = Aklum in 1982
|birth_name = Ferede Yazezew Aklum
|birth_date = {{birth date|1949|5|15}}
|birth_place =
|death_date = {{death date and age|2009|1|7|1949|5|15}}
|death_place = Addis Ababa
|resting_place = New Be'er Sheva Cemetery.{{cite book |last1=Yilma |first1=Shmuel |title=The Power of One |date=2019 |publisher=Yerusalem Forum |location=Israel |page=74}}
|occupation = Mossad Agent
|spouse = {{ubl|Eneish Berihun-Yishayahu|{{marriage|Semira|||end=her death}}}}
|children = 8
}}
Ferede Yazezew Aklum ({{langx|he|פרדה יזזאו אקלום}}; May 15, 1949 – January 7, 2009),{{cite web |title=Ferede Yazezew Aklum |url=https://www.anumuseum.org.il/ferede-aklum/ |website=Museum of the Jewish People |access-date=16 January 2022}}{{cite book |last1=Yilma |first1=Shmuel |title=The Power of One |date=2019 |publisher=Yerusalem Forum |location=Israel |page=20}} sometimes known as Farada Aklum or Ferede Yazazao Aklum, was a Mossad agent and Zionist activist best known for helping 900 Ethiopian Jews immigrate to Israel. His contributions helped pave the way for Ethiopian Jews to get to Israel via Sudan through Operation Moses and Operation Solomon.{{cite web |title=Ferede Yazezew Aklum |url=https://www.anumuseum.org.il/ferede-aklum/ |website=Museum of the Jewish People |access-date=16 January 2022}} He continued being an activist in Israel following his own aliyah. He died on a trip to Addis Ababa and is buried in Beersheba.{{cite web |title=Our Man in Addis Ababa |url=https://blog.nli.org.il/en/aliya/ |website=The Librarians |date=3 December 2017 |access-date=16 January 2022}}
Early life
Aklum was born in the Medabay village of the Tigray in Ethiopia to Yazezew Aklum and Avrehet Worku.{{cite web |title=Ferede Yazezwo Aklum |url=https://www.jewsofethiopia.com/copy-of-more-about-me |website=Jews of Ethiopia |access-date=17 January 2022}} He grew up in the Adi Worewa village.{{cite book |last1=Yilma |first1=Shmuel |title=The Power of One |date=2019 |publisher=Yerusalem Forum |location=Israel |page=23}} His father insisted he focus on formal education, so Aklum walked several kilometers to school in Shire. He eventually earned a teaching degree at the College of Addis in Addis Ababa. After earning his degree, he became headmaster of a school and mayor of the Indabunga Municipality.{{cite web |title=Ferede Yazezwo Aklum |url=https://www.jewsofethiopia.com/copy-of-more-about-me |website=Jews of Ethiopia |access-date=17 January 2022}}{{cite web |title=Ferede Yazezew Aklum |url=https://www.anumuseum.org.il/ferede-aklum/ |website=Museum of the Jewish People |access-date=17 January 2022}}
Sudan
After Moshe Dayan disclosed Israel was selling arms to Ethiopia,{{cite news |last1=Greenway |first1=H.D.S. |title=Dayan Discloses Israel Is Selling Arms to Ethiopia |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1978/02/07/dayan-discloses-israel-is-selling-arms-to-ethiopia/8e2e7c14-bb80-440b-ade8-22d97a195b6e/ |access-date=16 January 2022 |newspaper=Washington Post |date=7 February 1978}} the Ethiopian government began targeting Jewish activists. Aklum was identified as a Zionist and fled to Sudan.{{cite book |last1=Yilma |first1=Shmuel |title=The Power of One |date=2019 |publisher=Yerusalem Forum |location=Israel |page=33}}
Arriving without money, he sold his wedding band to contact the Mossad.{{cite news |last1=Somfalvi |first1=Attila |title=Unsung hero: The Mossad agent who led Ethiopian Jews to the Promised Land |url=https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5519503,00.html |newspaper=Ynetnews |date=7 June 2019 |access-date=16 January 2022}} This led to Mossad agent {{ill|Danny Limor|he|דני לימור}} searching for him in Khartoum. After making contact, the two spent the next 18 months secretly helping Jewish refugees cross into Sudan and travel to Israel. The refugees had to travel via Europe because Sudan had severed ties with Israel.{{cite book |last1=Yilma |first1=Shmuel |title=The Power of One |date=2019 |publisher=Yerusalem Forum |location=Israel}} Aklum finally left Sudan in September, 1980 when it became apparent the Sudanese authorities intended to imprison him for his activities.{{cite book |last1=Yilma |first1=Shmuel |title=The Power of One |date=2019 |publisher=Yerusalem Forum |location=Israel}}
Israel
Upon arriving in Israel, Aklum reunited with his family and began studying electrical engineering. The plight of Ethiopian Jews eventually led him back to a life of activism including leading the Association of Ethiopian Jews.{{cite web |url=https://archives.cjh.org/repositories/3/archival_objects/245177 |website=Center for Jewish History |access-date=17 January 2022|title=Association of Ethiopian Jews, 1974, 1978-1982, 1986 | the Center for Jewish History ArchivesSpace }}
Popular culture
The fictional character, Kabede Bimro (portrayed by Michael Kenneth Williams) in the movie Red Sea Diving Resort,{{cite news |title=The Real Heroes of the 'Red Sea Diving Resort' Rescue |url=https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-the-real-heroes-of-the-red-sea-diving-resort-rescue-1.7580998 |newspaper=Haaretz |access-date=16 January 2022}}{{cite web |title=Savior Stories |url=https://jewishcurrents.org/savior-story |website=Jewish Currents |access-date=17 January 2022}} is based upon Ferede Aklum.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aklum, Ferede}}
Category:Ethiopian emigrants to Israel