Mehereta Baruch is a Zionist and a Jew. Meherata came to Israel with her family from Ethiopia, traveling on foot to Sudan to get to Israel and suffering many hardships on the way.

She has found a new home in Israel.

Think about it - Is Zionism racism? Do you think Meherata is a racist?

For new television star Baruch, it comes down to a feeling of helplessness -- though she says she never felt it herself.

She arrived in Israel aged 10 without her parents, who followed years later. She went from a boarding school for immigrants to pursue a masters degree before joining theater groups.

Baruch said she had gone on the television program to further her own career rather than represent Ethiopian immigrants but was happy to be a role model for any who might be watching.

"The youth now need to see success stories. They see that I am accepted and that maybe they can achieve that, too," she said. "It makes them feel that anything is possible