They beat the statistics — now they're talking about the cost of success

The story

Haaretz Magazine published an in-depth feature by Ran Shimoni following a group of Ethiopian-Israeli academic graduates — people who overcame statistical barriers to complete a degree, still a relatively rare achievement in the community. But the piece doesn't stop at the achievement itself: it examines what happens after graduation.

What the article describes

According to the article, many graduates face:

• Difficulty translating the degree into matching employment — work that actually fits their field of study
• Pay gaps compared to other graduates in the same field
• Workplace racism — experiences that recur even after the "formal" hurdle of earning a degree is behind them

Mazal's story

One of the central figures in the piece is Mazal, whose personal story illustrates the gap between academic achievement and its realization in the labor market.

Why it matters

The article offers an angle that rarely gets enough attention: the common assumption is that an academic degree "solves" the employment gaps facing Ethiopian-Israelis, but the evidence suggests the academic achievement is one stage on the way, not the finish line.

Source

Note: this is a paywalled (premium) article on Haaretz's site — reading the full article requires a subscription.

• Haaretz (Magazine), Feb 9, 2026 — paywalled article