8/14/2019 Adisia Photoessay by Yonit Schiller

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photoeSSay

the art of rebirthadisia crafts hope for

ethiopian women in afula

Yonit Schiller

8/14/2019 Adisia Photoessay by Yonit Schiller

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Hundreds of miles away

from the tribal huts and

villages they once called

home, the Ethiopian

women of the Womens

International Zionist

Organization (WIZO)

absorption center inIsraels northern town

of Afula are sustaining

an ancient custom in

modern society.

phOtOessaypresentensemaGazine.OrG

8/14/2019 Adisia Photoessay by Yonit Schiller

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Under the guidance o Aulas WIZO director, David Dudu Moatty, twentywomen are busy bringing the Adisia Project to ruition. Adisia is the Amharicterm or renaissancea tting label or a project that aspires to both reviveclassic Ethiopian embroidery and re-energize the art orm by pushing itstraditional creative boundaries.

Embroidering gives the women a chance to come to lie. Te act o creating artempowers them by producing tangible proo o their ecacy, ingenuity, andoverall personal potential in Israeli society, as well as abroad. Indeed, Adisiaspurpose, according to Moatty, is to help [the women] nd their uture.

8/14/2019 Adisia Photoessay by Yonit Schiller

4/64 issue three 2007 presentensemaGazine.OrG COntents

Tese remarkable women have endured much

hardship. Tey fed rom persecution andamine in Ethiopia, and upon their arrivalin Israel, encountered difculty assimilating,acing a language barrier and racism, amongother obstacles. Te incredibly endearing, yetastute, nature o the women o Adisia stemsrom their combined experiences o sueringin Ethiopia, ollowed by experiencing a majorcultural shit once they immigrated to Israel.

For these women, embroidery is also a socialact, providing a sae space or them to shareideas and visions with women who have hadsimilar lie experiences. Adisia enables themto learn rom and listen to one another in anopen, comortable setting.

A new wave o excitement or Adisia is

engendering a ripple eect in the international Jewish community. Te World DiasporaMezuzah project, spearheaded by internationalproject coordinator Sharon Ungerleider,is helping to bridge the gap between theEthiopian women and Diaspora communities.Te women o Adisia are very excited to becreating embroidered Mezuzot with a varietyo artistic motis, using traditional Ethiopian

embroidery style with the patterns and ethnicsymbols associated with Jewish Diasporacommunities around the world.

8/14/2019 Adisia Photoessay by Yonit Schiller

5/64 issue three 2007 presentensemaGazine.OrG COntents

Ethiopian embroidery in Israel is much more than just an ancient art orm.For these women o Adisia, embroidery is their outlet o artistic expression,their community, and their source o personal strength.

Yonit Schiller is a photographer based in Jerusalem

8/14/2019 Adisia Photoessay by Yonit Schiller

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