Mekonen immigrated to Israel from Ethiopia 12 hours after losing his father in tragic circumstances. He overcame his personal challenges to excel in his unit.
In this clip from Beneath the Helmet, we meet Mekonen, 18, who immigrated from Ethiopia to Israel and joined the elite IDF paratrooper brigade. Mekonen and another trainee, Oren, race against their comrades to capture a hill in a field exercise. His story is an inspiring example of an Ethiopian Jew who is succeeding in integrating into Israeli society.
Watch the full movie at: http://www.beneathhelmet.com/.