Yona Bogale was born in 1908 in the rural village of Wolleqa, near Gondar in Northern Ethiopia, The eldest of five children of Bogale Birru and Beletu Reda, he was raised in a family of farmers and goat and cattle herders, but showed an early aptitude for language and education.
 With the help of Dr. Jacob (Jacques) Faitlovitch and Professor Tamrat Emmanuel, he completed his primary studies, and at the age of 12, and was one of several young people selected to study abroad.
After attending  elementary school in Jerusalem for four years, he spent two years in high school in Frankfurt, Germany.
He attended the University of Heidelberg in Germany for two years and completed his international studies at the  Asher Institute for Jewish Education in Lausanne, Switzerland and the Alliance Francaise Universelle in Paris, France.
After returning to Addis Ababa in 1932, he taught in the teacher training and boarding school opened there by Dr. Faitlovitch.
eventually becoming  its principal.
 From 1935, Bogale served as a translator for the Ethiopian Red Cross at the time of the Italian invasion and occupation of Ethiopia.
Afterwards, he returned to work in several private businesses , before being appointed in 1941 to a position in the Ethiopian government by King Hailie Selassie I. In 1945, he married Tayitu Kelkele and began a union that spanned 45 years and produced eight children.
After Ethiopia gained its independence, Bogale worked as head of the translation department in the Ethiopian Ministry of Education for twelve years.
Then, with the cooperation of the Jewish Agency, Sochnut Hayhudit, Bogale opened and supervised more than 20 Jewish schools in Ethiopia.
 In the wake of Dr. Faitlovitch's death.
in 1955, Bogale and Tamrat Emmanuel became the lead advocates for the Beta Israel community.
For the next two decades, he was the driving force in opening new schools, medical facilities, prayer houses and agricultural stations in the northwestern part of Ethiopia.
His work drew the attention of religious leaders and government officials in Israel, as well as Jewish organizations worldwide, particularly with regard to his goal of aliyah for all Ethiopian Jews.
Yona Bogale was born in 1908 in the rural village of Wolleqa, near Gondar in Northern Ethiopia, The eldest of five children of Bogale Birru and Beletu Reda, he was raised in a family of farmers and goat and cattle herders, but showed an early aptitude for language and education.  With the help of Dr. Jacob (Jacques) Faitlovitch and Professor Tamrat Emmanuel, he completed his primary studies, and at the age of 12, and was one of several young people selected to study abroad. After attending  elementary school in Jerusalem for four years, he spent two years in high school in Frankfurt, Germany. He attended the University of Heidelberg in Germany for two years and completed his international studies at the  Asher Institute for Jewish Education in Lausanne, Switzerland and the Alliance Francaise Universelle in Paris, France. After returning to Addis Ababa in 1932, he taught in the teacher training and boarding school opened there by Dr. Faitlovitch. eventually becoming  its principal.  From 1935, Bogale served as a translator for the Ethiopian Red Cross at the time of the Italian invasion and occupation of Ethiopia. Afterwards, he returned to work in several private businesses , before being appointed in 1941 to a position in the Ethiopian government by King Hailie Selassie I. In 1945, he married Tayitu Kelkele and began a union that spanned 45 years and produced eight children. After Ethiopia gained its independence, Bogale worked as head of the translation department in the Ethiopian Ministry of Education for twelve years. Then, with the cooperation of the Jewish Agency, Sochnut Hayhudit, Bogale opened and supervised more than 20 Jewish schools in Ethiopia.  In the wake of Dr. Faitlovitch's death. in 1955, Bogale and Tamrat Emmanuel became the lead advocates for the Beta Israel community. For the next two decades, he was the driving force in opening new schools, medical facilities, prayer houses and agricultural stations in the northwestern part of Ethiopia. His work drew the attention of religious leaders and government officials in Israel, as well as Jewish organizations worldwide, particularly with regard to his goal of aliyah for all Ethiopian Jews.
Yona Bogale