Almaz in her restaurant, Photo by  Nina Zuck

And that is what Almaz has negotiated throughout her life – a pathway that has contained both high places and low, and she is still facing the challenges to fulfill her objective which is to make a success of her Ethiopian restaurant.

 Unlike many Ethiopian girls, Almaz was sent to school and even though her family insisted that she fulfill a marriage contract at the age of 14 she insisted on her rights to continue with her education, which she did as love and a relationship developed with her husband. Then she fell pregnant and gave birth to her first child when only just seventeen; two more children were born whilst over that period of time they strove to be considered for aliyah to Israel. During that time she became involved in the emigration work from Ethiopia under the auspices of the JOINT (the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee). Eventually in 1991 Almaz herself succeeded in fulfilling her dream and came to Israel with her young family. Here she gave birth once more and, sadly, lost her husband who died only a few years after arriving in the country. She found it emotionally difficult to face life without a partner and this led her into a relationship that brought her another two children over the years. Today she alone carries the responsibility of caring for her six children. However, a smile lights the smooth beauty of her face as she adds, “I also have two and a half grandchildren!”

Because of her prior experience of working with the would-be immigrants, she was designated to continue her work and assist in helping them to find a place in Israeli society. Thus she became involved in projects for integrating new immigrants who lack the necessary education and skills to enter a modern and competitive society, initiated by the New Israel Fund and carried out by their offshoot "Shatil", which means seedling in Hebrew. Her devotion and efforts brought her recognition and awards. However in 2004 lack of necessary funds brought about cut-backs and her work was terminated.

During her years of service, she had attended a course in nutrition which could assist in combating poor health with the use of natural ingredients. Realizing the progress that could be made in this direction she began to give talks on the  subject to diabetes sufferers. With increasing knowledge she appreciated that many of the cereals, herbs and spices that were beneficial had been part of their staple diet back in Ethiopia. And then the idea of a restaurant specializing in Ethiopian food entered her mind, and with her usual determination she succeeded in opening one in Tel Aviv in 2006. However after three years of effort she understood that her choice of venue was not going to allow her to accomplish what she had hoped for and she returned to Netanya where she had once worked with the immigrant society.

Almaz opened her restaurant just off Shmuel HaNatziv Street and there you can find a true taste of Ethiopia in every way. Stepping inside the door the décor takes you to another land, a straw-lined ceiling and walls decorated with Ethiopian art enclose a comfortable seating area with a well-stocked bar. Food is served in a completely authentic manner and Almaz explained the ingredients used as we tasted and savored them.

We each received a simple plate which was covered by injera –a large flatbread made of teff flour. The grain, known also as love-grass, goes back as far as many years B.C. and was indigenous to Ethiopia. The seeds vary in color from ivory white to deep brown and have extremely positive nutritional value. Dotted around the injera were appetizing small portions of wat (spiced chicken stew), kitfo (ground beef), lab (Ethiopian cheese dish), seasonal vegetable stew and a fresh vegetable salad. The injera is torn into small pieces and used to enfold, one at a time, a tasting – according to personal choice – of each of the portions.

After this main course we were given a small container with a mixture of fresh honey and ground flax seeds and to assist in washing this down some freshly baked, ground and brewed coffee. Almaz sat with us to explain the use of herbs and spices in the dishes and their beneficial properties. Many Ethiopian food recipes can be very attractive to vegans also.

On Friday and Saturday evenings she also brings along Ethiopian singers or dancers to entertain the diners, and is happy to make a special occasion for barmitzvahs, wedding parties or other special occasions.

However it is not proving easy to attract non-Ethiopians to sample her efforts. She hopes that the fact that T.V. personality and chef Aharoni, who has discovered her and been personally checking out her cuisine, will publicize the restaurant with a special program. My friends and I certainly enjoyed our experience with this “diamond” of a woman – for that is what the translation of Almaz from Amharic to English is.

Non-Ethiopians and vegans too can enjoy the authentic Ethiopian food and atmosphere in Almaz’s restaurant recently opened in Netanya.

Almaz Restaurant, Netanya, 3 Shmuel HaNatziv Street - down a small alleyway and up 3 steps. Mobile phone only 052 519 4324,  email Almazf@walla.com (Written requests in Hebrew).

Footnote: Almaz came to our attention through Lolita  Marcos who with her voluntary work with Save a Child’s Heart was helping with the post-operative care of children from Ethiopia. She was speaking with their escort who expressed a longing for food from home – mentioning especially “injera”.  Off Lolita went to discover what and where and as luck would have it an employee at the Supermarket knew exactly what it was and where it could be found. And so Lolita discovered Almaz and her restaurant. Upon learning for whom the injera was, Almaz also insisted on preparing and adding generous portions of take-away from her Ethiopian kitchen, invited the escort to join in their Friday evening celebrations if possible and would only take the basic cost of some of the ingredients, donating her work and time with love.