In his tiny, shared rented room a stone’s throw from the bustling, if somewhat run-down, central bus station in Tel Aviv, Kebedom Mengistu is busy putting the final touches on the layout of a newspaper he produces each month for Eritrean exiles who now live in Israel.
It’s early September, and less than a week remains before the Jewish high holidays start here. As Mr. Mengistu points out, this particular edition of the newspaper he started just over a year ago is especially crucial.
Sitting on a simple wooden chair in front of a laptop computer, Mengistu, who arrived in Israel four years ago and is still seeking asylum here, explains that the paper must go to the printers today because it contains a special feature detailing what his African-born readers should expect during Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year holiday.