In 2013, Titi Aynaw became the first Israeli-Ethiopian to win the Miss Israel title. Through that accomplishment, she paved the way for Ethiopian models in Israel, challenging advertisers in Israel to rethink their attitudes toward black models.

A television personality and Israeli advocate, Aynaw will appear alongside David Broza and friends at the Community’s Yom Ha’atzmaut/Israel@70 Celebration on April 18.

Born in the Gondar province of Ethiopia, Aynaw always dreamed of moving to Israel. After losing both of her parents by age 12, she and her brother moved to Israel to live with their grandparents in Netanya, in northern Israel.

An Israeli advocate from an early age, she founded and helps fund the “Titi Project,” to provide extracurricular activities for Ethiopian kids in need in Netanya.

She later served in the Israel Defense Forces as a Company Commander with the rank of Lieutenant and then joined the Military Police, with 300 men and women under her command.

Aynaw, currently on leave from IDC University (Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya), is touring U.S. colleges, sharing her story and promoting a positive image of Israel. In advance of her appearance in Chicago, she did an interview with JUF News by email.

JUF News: How do you think you have helped open the door to other black models in Israel?

Titi Aynaw: I opened the door for black models in Israel to be on magazine covers and made Israel aware and open to accepting black models in all areas of beauty. Ethiopian girls and other minorities [now] have the confidence to enter the Miss Israel contest and become models.

What does your service in the Israel Defense Forces mean to you?

The IDF helped [me] build character and develop my sense of being. I learned to be a leader, teacher, and a stronger person… It gave me an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of the soldiers I commanded.

What does Israel turning 70 mean to you?

Israel has grown to be a strong country, which impacts the world through contributions to agriculture, medicine, technology, the environment, [etc]. We are a small country moving forward with one success after another. Are we perfect? No, [but] I am very proud of my country and to be an Israeli.

What is the most important message you convey to students on American college campuses?

I tell the students to chase their dreams and set high goals for themselves. I let them know that if a new immigrant from Ethiopia can achieve her dreams and goals in Israel, they can do it as well. It’s important for me to deliver a positive message [of] Israel, one which is often much different from what [people] hear and read in the media.

What’s next for you?

In the next few years, I want to focus on becoming an international model. Down the road, I see myself entering the public sector and maybe one day become a Member of Knesset.