ethiopia

IMAGES OF ETHIOPIA

Edited by Pnina falego Gaday

The Ethiopian Jews lived primarily in villages in the north and Northwest of the country, far from their Christian neighbors.

Ethiopia

Simien Mountains near Gondar Many Jews live in this region

The Ethiopian Jews, also called the "Beta Israel" (House of Israel), termed "Falashas" (The Outsiders) by their neighbors.

A small town in Ethiopia

Jews in Ethiopia were separated from the Christian and Moslem communities by their distinct way of life and religious customs.

The Kessim – (rabbis ,"Kohanim") were the top religious and spiritual leaders of the Jewish community.

Members of the community came to the Kessim for information related to religion, holidays, wedding ceremonies, divorce proceedings, burials, etc.

In their prayer they have always included visions of a peaceful Jerusalem and a hope to arrive there one day.

The central holy text of the Jews in Ethiopia was called the 'Orit'-Torah.

The 'Orit' was the center of their lives and religion. The 'Orit' is made up of the Five Books of Moses, the Prophetic writings, and other writings such as Song of Songs and psalms.

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majority of Ethiopian Jews were farmers, but a smaller portion were traditional craftsmen, working as tinsmiths and tailors.

Traditional Ethiopian clothing is made from pure cotton. Most of the dresses are white and are woven at home. The cotton is woven with many decorative colors and is distinguished by the intricate embroidery. The women were traditionally responsible for preparing the cotton and embroidering designs.

In Ethiopia the society was generally patriarchal with tasks divided according to defined gender roles.

A hierarchical structure existed within the family with the husband holding the senior position The wife was responsible for housework: cooking, cleaning, collecting water from the well, raising the children.

‫“ושא נס לקבץ‬ ‫גלותוינו וקבצנו יחד‬ ‫מארבע כנפות הארץ‬ ‫לארצנו‪ ,‬ברוך אתה ה’‬ ‫מקבץ נדחי עמו‬ ‫ישראל" ‪.‬‬ ‫(מתוך‬ ‫תפילת )‪18‬‬

One of the core tenets of Ethiopian Jewish belief, prayer and day-today life was the desire to return to "Zion" - to once again look upon those hills.

Operation Moses thus began on November 21, 1984. running On the airplane

Refugees were bused directly from the Sudanese camps to a military airport near Khartoum.

Under a shroud of secrecy established by a news blackout, they were then airlifted directly to Israel.

New face: first steps on the holy land – Jews from Ethiopia getting out of the Hercules airplane.

The journey from exile to redemption began‌

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