Yesmani Asresay

Father's name: Esersay Ybhadgo

Mother's name: Wandash Takuay

Year of birth: 1937

Place of birth: Leu Guto, Belemba Kashi, Welkait

Region in Ethiopia: Welkait

Main occupation in Ethiopia: Student, merchant, and hunter

The language of the interview: Tigrinya

Yesmani Asresay, nature, agriculture, shepherding, faith, God, gunfire, soldiers, journey, guide, immigration of Ethiopian Jews to Israel, Ge’ez, Tigrinya, Kes, studies, Sabbath observance, trade, weapon, market, forced conscription, robbers, wild animals, Derg, Emperor Haile Selassie, Wassa, Denashe, Sudan, Israel, Leu Guto, Belemba Kashi, Welkait, Humera, Tigray.

Summary of the testimony:

Yesmani talks about the journey he and his family undertook from his village to Sudan in order to immigrate to Israel. During the journey, in spite of the instructions and entreaties of the guides, when the Sabbath began Yesmani and his family refused to continue walking and sat on the side of the road. Soldiers of the Derg regime surrounded them and opened fire on them. Yesmani relates that, thanks to their faith, no one was injured.

Yesmani describes his family tree, his village, and its local history. His father died when Yesmani was a child. He and his brothers worked the land and traded the crops.

When he reached the age of ten, Yesmani began to study reading and writing in Ge’ez in school, as well as studying Jewish laws from a Kes. Yesmani describes the method of study, the topics he studied, and the social life there.

Due to his father’s death, Yesmani had to leave his studies and help support his family. He and his family worked a large plot of land adjacent to the city of Humera, where they grew various crops. Yesmani describes how each crop was cultivated, and describes the ploughing, planting, and harvesting.

He sold the surplus produce and crops such as sesame at the marketplace in Humera or other markets in the province of Tigray. He travelled to Tigray, a journey of between three and four days, together with other armed merchants. They transported the merchandise on donkeys and slept on the roadside. After selling his merchandise, Yesmani bought merchandise such as spices, cloth, and weapons, which were not available in the province of Welkait.

Yesmani talks about the changes of regime and the revolution, when the Derg party deposed Emperor Haile Selassie. Yesmani relates how the Derg forcibly conscripted people to fight against the soldiers of the deposed emperor. Yesmani was also conscripted and stationed with other local people to guard the area

During the 1978 revolution, the first waves of Jews from Tigray began to pass through Welkait – Yesmani’s village – and cross the border to Sudan in the hope of continuing from there to Israel. For two years, until he immigrated to Israel, Yesmani was a guide (smuggler) and led many groups of Ethiopians Jews across the Sudanese border. Yesmani reiterates that they always stopped and observed the Sabbath on the way, and only continued walking when it was over. He expounds on the various dangers along the way, such as wild animals and robbers. He describes the gun fights he encountered several times, including when he smuggled his own family to Sudan.

In Sudan, Yesmani continued to work for the Jewish community and was an active partner in the immigration to the Land of Israel.