B.A. in Gender Studies and African Studies, TA University

My name is Moriah Zalka and I am 31 years old. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Gender Studies and African Studies from Tel Aviv University and I am currently a third-year law student at Tel Aviv University. I was born in Ethiopia in 1986 and in 1991, during Operation Solomon, I immigrated to Israel with my parents and nine siblings. When we arrived in Israel, we lived at an absorption center in Kiryat Shmona, and then moved to a trailer park in Haifa. As soon as it was possible, my parents decided to move to Lod, which is where my family still lives today.
Unfortunately, we lost my dear mother ten years ago to a fatal illness. It was a blow that hit our family like thunder on a sunny day. My mother was our family’s anchor and as such, we still have not recovered from her death. My father is now retired and my siblings and I need to take care of the household needs. Because I had no support from home, from the very first day that I began my academic studies, I had to work to pay for my education. There were times when I was working two jobs concurrently and still had to take loans to meet the steep cost of higher education. In addition, I did not find an external source of funding to help me pay for my degree so that I could invest my time in studying. Despite the difficulty of paying my way through university, I did not give up on the opportunity to acquire a significant education.
My academic studies helped me broaden my social reality and see it from a different perspective. One of the most important things I learned was not to judge reality according to its external appearance, and not to accept reality as is. Both as a woman and as a member of the Ethiopian Isreali community, it is important to me not to accept the current state of affairs. Rather, I strive to influence and change it – within myself, among those close to me and in society in general, to the extent of my ability. Over the years, I have volunteered and worked in Israeli society in various different settings, and I learned an important lesson – that every person has the ability to make a difference and change the circumstances of their life. No one needs to accept the reality dictated to them. Moreover, society cannot dictate a person’s choices; the right to make one’s own choices is a right that belongs to every person, not a kindness that has been bestowed upon them.
I was extremely happy to be accepted to intern at the Supreme Court, an achievement that to me is a dream come true. It proved to me that with hard work, anything is possible. To conclude, I would like to thank Keren Aynor for your generosity and commitment to our community. Your efforts truly warm the heart and bring a smile and ray of hope to the many students whom you support. I hope that you will continue this wonderful scholarship program and may you always be privileged to give to others.