The dramatic and inspiring stories of
Ethiopian Jews
struggling to become Ethiopian Israelis.
In 1977 there were about one hundred
Ethiopian Jews in Israel; now there are more than one hundred
thousand. Their exodus from their native land and their mass
immigration to Israel is a unique historical event.
This beautiful and touching book recounts
the profound challenges and inspiring accomplishments of
Ethiopian Jews struggling to become Ethiopian Israelis in
captivating photographs and candid interviews. Featuring more
than fifty men and women—religious leaders, soldiers,
lawyers, students, actors, musicians, a member of the Knesset,
and more—this fascinating book reveals their personal
stories. It follows a historical narrative that traces how some
Ethiopians became Jewish, how they got to Israel and how they
experience Israel as a member of its most impoverished and
culturally different minority. In their own words, they reveal
their dreams, goals and struggles to become accepted and
integrated without losing their own character, identity and
values. They declare their devotion to their religious homeland
and to freeing themselves from the illiteracy, unemployment,
crime and alienation that plague their community.
An outstanding Passover gift book.
“An important book…. Written
with compassion, but also with a penetrating conscience,
reminding us of what we and the Jewish State have to do to
embrace this community and gather them into our hearts….
A book for the entire family that enriches our life and deepens
the complexity of our Jewish journey.”
—Rabbi
Harold M. Schulweis,
Valley
Beth Shalom, Encino, California
“A loving tribute to the resilience
and courage of Ethiopian Jews, the tenacity of Jewish tradition
over the centuries and the reality of Israel as a multiracial
society.”
—Rabbi
Harold Kushner, author, When Bad Things Happen to Good People
Len Lyons, PhD,
is the author of six books on a variety of subjects. He spent
two years meeting with key members of the Ethiopian Israeli
community and arranged to have members photographed by the
accomplished Israeli photographer, Ilan
Ossendryver. Len Lyons
is available to speak on the following topics:
Click here to contact the author.
Ilan Ossendryver has lived in Israel for twenty years and has
photographed many major figures there.
Alan Dershowitz
is the Felix Frankfurter Professor
of Law at Harvard Law School. He
writes numerous articles for the New
York Times and is the author
of many books.
