Kes Ameha Ngat

Father's name: Ngat Tefte Mekro

Mother's name: Kabito Eynua Yimar

Year of birth: 1932

Place of birth: Gena Yohans, Sekelt, Gondar

Region in Ethiopia: Gondar

Main occupation in Ethiopia: Spiritual leader

The language of the interview: Amharic

Kes Ameha Ngat, nature, agriculture, shepherding, Kes, spiritual leader, studies, reading and writing, pottery, weaving, Amharic, Ge’ez, prayers, customers and tradition, ritual purity, monks, ritual slaughter, religious services, wedding, festivals and events, racism, violence, murder, chairman of the famers union, burning, synagogue, Kes Berhan Baruch, mourning, holy sites, Sigd, Jewish Agency, ORT network, Derg, Emperor Haile Selassie, Gena Yohans, Sekelt, Gondar, Sarmella, Ambuber, Israel.

Summary of the testimony:

Kes Ngat describes his family tree, his village and local history. Kes Ngat’s father was himself a Kes who built the synagogue in the village. At the age of six, Kes Ngat’s father taught him to read and write while he accompanied him to work in the fields, blacksmithing and weaving. Additionally, he would guard the herd, cattle and fields from birds and monkeys.

At the age of 13, his father sent him to study religious studies, and he learned to read and write in Ge’ez from a Christian monk. He describes the compound where they lived and studied, the syllabus, the discipline, the tasks and the social experience at the monks’ school. When he returned home for a vacation he had to purify himself before entering his house.

A financial crisis forced Kes Ngat to leave his studies after nine months. He returned to his father’s house and helped his father with agricultural work. He carried out all the blacksmith work for the vessels used in the field.

He rose through the ranks of study and the many qualifications to be a rabbi under the tutelage of his father. He got married at the age of 17 and, at the age of 20, when his oldest son was born, he was appointed as a spiritual leader – Kes. He talks about the ordination ceremony and his first days as a Kes, and lists the holy sites that surrounded his village. From the time of his appointment he began to conduct the prayers in the synagogue, to conduct marriage and mourning ceremonies, to deliver blessings and to perform the ritual slaughter on festivals and at events for the local people. He talks about the various traditions and religious customs.

Following a dispute about land and against the backdrop of racial tensions, cases of murder, and the synagogue being burned by Christians, Kes Ngat moved with his family to Sarmella near Ambover. At the same time, many Kesim were called to a large gathering in Asmara, Eritrea. Kes Ngat and Kes Malka were the only spiritual leaders of the entire region who stayed behind. When the Kesim returned from the conference, the community did not want to accept their authority because they had left, but a compromise was reached a short time later.

When the regime changed and the Derg party deposed Emperor Haile Selassie, Kes Ngat was appointed, against his will, as head of the farmers’ union of the village. He was responsible for distributing salt and other products. After a certain period of time, he managed to leave the role and was chosen as the deputy of Kes Berhan Baruch. When Kes Baruch immigrated to Israel in 1969, Kes Ngat succeeded him and moved to Ambover.

Kes Ngat describes the prayers and celebrations of the Sigd festival. He talks about the work of the Jewish Agency and the ORT network in building the large synagogue in Ambover and communal life there.