Shimala

In memory of Tiroayent Takala

Born in Ethipia, 5731 (1971). Fell in Beer Sheva, 14th of Elul, 5764 (August 31, 2004)

For years, Tiroayent Takala dreamed of making aliyah from Ethiopia. Less than a year after she had fulfilled her dream, she was murdered in a terror attack in the Central Bus Station in Beer Sheva (2004). 

Tironayent and her family always dreamed of making aliyah to Jerusalem, but when the family finally managed to do so Tiroayent was forced to stay behind in Ethiopia. Only after a long and drawn-out struggle did she receive the exciting news that she could come to Israel and join her family. The family was torn apart again when Tiroayent was murdered in a terror attack, less than a year after her aliyah. 

Tiroayent was born in 1971 in Ethiopia to Dalmalau and Mulo Gubza. She eventually married Taphiya Takala and they had four children—Gashu, Avif, Dagito and Ediso who happily joined their sister Tarik. 

In May 2003, the family made aliyah to Israel and a month after arriving their daughter Rachel was born. They lived in the Nurit Absorption Center in Beer Sheva and intended to move into their own apartment. 

Tiroayent was a diligent and pleasant person, who arrived in Israel with hope in her heart and an intense desire to build a new life in Israel. But in one moment, all of the family’s hopes and dreams were lost in a brutal terror attack. 

On the morning of Tuesday, the 14th of Elul, 5764 (August 31, 2004), Tiroayent left for the Municipal Market. On her way back, at around 3:00pm, two suicide bombers blew themselves up one after the other on two buses, the 6 and the 12, in the Beer Sheva Central Bus Station. About 100 were injured in the two blasts. Sixteen people died, including Tiroayent. Tiroayent was buried in the cemetery in Beer Sheva. 

Tiroayent Takal Z"l

Thoughts from Nadav Nachmani who created the film
In contrast to most memorial films in the project, which are generally about soldiers, the clip I worked on was about an immigrant from Ethiopia killed in a terror attack. Moreover, it was a very different clip with respect to content and the only clip longer than eight minutes (the rest were between two and three minutes). Working on the film was a particularly difficult challenge, since we did not have much information on the story.

In addition, a lot of research was needed in order to try and understand the Ethiopian culture. The story of the Ethiopian aliyah very much speaks to the heart: the extraordinary difficulties that these people endured in order to come to Israel and to fulfill their vision. And the unimaginable gap between that vision and the reality they encountered here. 

For many years, Tiroayent’s family tried to bring her to Israel, and tragically she was killed in a terror attack after she made aliyah—a very difficult and painful story. The clip describes the connection between Tiroayent and her mother who is trying to bring her to Israel and in parallel Tiroayent appears as dreaming of coming to the Promised Land on the wings of a stork, which are nothing but the wings of her imagination. The name of the clip is 'Shimala', which means stork in Amharic. In the Ethiopian culture, the stork is a very strong symbol of yearning and longing for the Land of Israel.

Produced with the support of Miphal Hapayis.