Israeli volunteers hand out flowers in memory of slain Ethiopian
Thousands of flowers in memory of Solomon Tekah were handed out to passersby on the streets of Israel.
By ALEX WINSTONSAHI volunteers hand out flowers in memory of Solomon Tekah(photo credit: Courtesy)
All across Israel this week Israeli youths participated in a SAHI (Special Hessed Unit) initiative to mark 30 days since the death of Solomon Tekah, a 19-year old Ethiopian-Israeli shot by an off-duty policeman on June 30 in Kiryat Haim.Thousands of flowers in memory of Tekah were handed out to passersby on the streets of Israel as hundreds of SAHI volunteers, about a quarter of whom are Ethiopian-Israelis, called for unity among all Israelis.The flowers were attached to a postcard reading in Hebrew, "I am your brother, don't forget."They took to the streets of Jerusalem, Kiryat Gat, Safed, Kiryat Malachi and other towns.Avraham Hayon, CEO of SAHI said, "After the painful events... of the past month, SAHI youths who believe in giving... as a tool for improving society have taken to the streets, but this time to demonstrate solidarity and fight. The teens distributed water, flowers... at intersections and city centers to remind the entire public that we are all brothers here."Tekah's death saw widespread riots by the Ethiopian community in Israel. Ethiopian Israelis say they have long been discriminated against in housing, education and employment.Established in 2009, SAHI is an Israeli non-profit organization working with at-risk youth, with the approach of encouraging them to give back to their communities including organizing events such as the distributing flowers in memory of Tekah and helping people with disabilities.
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