De Fedj à assistant social : la métamorphose d'une fonction traditionnelle parmi les immigrants éthiopiens en Israël

Abstract

From Fedj to Social Worker : the Metamorphosis of a traditional Role among Ethiopian immigrants in Israel Haïm ROSEN This paper looks at the current efforts of key individuals within the Ethiopian Jewish community in Israel to assist in the adjustment and integration of new immigrants. The material that is presented comes from fieldwork carried out in the town of Ashdod. The findings are presented against the back-drop at the kinds of local level political activity that was taking place in Ethiopia, and was familiar to these immigrants prior to their arrival in Israel or Ashdod. A central finding of the research is that a transformation can be said to have taken place, whereby the kinds of expectations once held of a person who served in a traditional role known as fedj, representing people and handling their affairs for them, have been placed upon certain individuals who are working in the area of social services. A case study is made of the « metamorphosis » of one individual in particular who managed to go from acting in a fedj-like manner, as he performed his official functions, to becoming a certified social worker in charge of a large staff and organizer of a program to train a new generation of local people to serve their community like a good fedj.