By Professor Ephraim Isaac
December 9, 2022
Beloved Sisters and Brothers,
It is with a heavy heart that I send this message about the passing of our most beloved Immama Tsion. She is a legend in her own right. So, as we weep her passing, we also rejoice her beautiful journey on this earth and her loving contributions to all the great deeds she has done throughout that journey on this earth.
Immama Tsion left an indelible mark on my own life from High School days to today. For me, she has always been my second beloved mother.
In the early 1950’s I remember Immama Tsion as a dignified and highly respected lady of the then high society of His Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie’s time. She helped found the Ethiopian Red Cross. By all counts she was a leading member of the distinguished society of Addis Ababa. Yet, she was a thoughtful, kind-hearted, and even humble person. When a group of us little college students (then Ato Ezra Gebremedhin, Ato Mehari Gebremedhin, and Ato Menkir Isaias and I) started the first four voice quarter to sing in Makana Yesus in 1952, she was the first to come and congratulate and embrace us. She did not look down upon us as some singing little college students but greeted us with love as her children. She made us feel so honored to have a lady of her class and caliber to embrace us.
In 1954, I received a scholarship to go and study in the USA. Indeed, I was stunned when she called me and said that she would have a farewell party for me; then for me just a little college student? So, I can never forget that evening when she brought together a cream of the then Addis Ababa high class society- her friend Princess Sara, wife of Prince Mekonnen, General Iyasu, General Isaias, her beloved brother General Aman, and several high-level Government ministers and officials who attended the party. She showed me love just because I started that small singing group that had touched her heart. She was a person who in those days would have looked down upon us as a little nobody. Yet she lifted us up and dignified us because she valued knowledge and religious music and respected our little quartet. How can I ever forget that occasion?
After I finished College in the USA and enrolled at the Harvard Divinity School, I returned to Ethiopia for a year in 1960-61. It was that year that I decided to translate the famous Handel’s Messiah into Amharic and perform it in Ethiopia for the first time. Understandably, my Swedish and Norwegian friends of the Makana Yesus Church laughed at me when I proposed such a daring undertaking, But Immama Tsion heard my idea and encouraged me. When we finally were able to bring together about 120 singers and showed that we were indeed able to sing the great music so professionally it stunned our European friends. It was our beloved Immama Tsion who arranged for us to perform the Messiah in Amharic at the then Haile Sellasie Theatre. She even convinced H.M. Emperor Haile Sellasie to consider attending the first night performance, and we were able to so advertise throughout the Addis Ababa.
After the two nights of a startling performance of the Messiah at the Theatre, one paper wrote, “last night not only ladies but some gentlemen were also weeping”. But the Emperor was not able to attend. So, then Immama Tsion decided to take me to the Palace to meet the Emperor who received us kindly and listened to Imama Tsion describing the un-incredible performance and what His Majesty had missed. I can see that the Emperor respected Immama Tsion to whom he listened respectfully. Then he decided that the Choir will be invited to sing in the Palace on Miazia 21, the National Liberation Day. So, with her help we were honored to sing in front of all the then Government Ministers and foreign ambassadors and dignitaries in a large Palace tent that was set up especially for our performance. I can never forget the then Norwegian Ambassador coming to me at the end of the concert saying to me, ‘I have heard the Messiah singing a dozen times: only two times I was so deeply touched: tonight, and another time in London when Sir Malcolm Sargent conducted it.’ It was indeed a historic event made possible only because of Imama Tsion.
When the cruel Derg Regime murdered her brother, the great General Aman (whom I had also come to know and respect because of Immama Tsion), and imprisoned her also, I felt so helpless that I could not get her released. But I prayed for her daily. So, it was such a great joy that I was able to meet her again in person in 1991 when I came to Addis as Chair of the ad hoc Peace Committee that helped sponsor the Peace and Democratic Transition Conference. I was even once successful to arrange a meeting for Immama Tsion with our respected Late Prime Minister Meles (may G-d have mercy upon his soul.)
Immama Tsion was a peace-loving person. During the Ethio-Eritrean War (1998-2000) she helped us organize an Ethio- Eritrean Womens Peace Coalition. From that time on, she not only supported our peace efforts and encouraged us to do the best to promote peace but also worked hard to contribute personally to our continued efforts to promote love and reconciliation among all our peoples.
I cannot emphasize how Immama Tsion was a thoughtful, loving, kind-hearted, forgiving, and humble person. After she heard that the Ethiopian Government had released the CUD prisoners who had asked the Government an apology, she showed at my hotel one day with the wives of two Derg prisoners (Fisseha Desta and Debela Dinsa) who wanted me to deliver to the Prime Minister a letter of apology of the imprisoned Derg officials and for their release. Because of the Derg, Imama Tsion had lost her beloved brother and suffered in jail for seven years!!! Yet here she was helping the wives of the very people who were responsible for the loss of her brother and her own seven years of suffering in prison. She said to me my own suffering is over, I cannot do anything about it. But I hate to see the suffering of the families of these people. What do you call such a person but a saint?
Finally, let me say that I was very happy that with the help of her dear daughter Sofi (for whom we pray for a heavenly comfort), I was very happy that some of us were happy and blessed to have been able to celebrate Imama Tsion’s 100th birthday and meet her on ZOOM about twelve days ago. I thank Qes Ezra and Dr. Berhanyekun for reminding us about that zoom celebration of her Birthday. It was a historic occasion indeed. I can see that she was very happy to meet us all. How much we miss her now!
May the Almighty receive Imama Tsion’s soul in glory in eternal abode and give heavenly comfort to Sofi and members of her family and to all of us who loved and cherished her.
May the Almighty, the Heavenly judge be blessed.
Respectfully,
Ephraim Isaac