The new book by Rabbi Dr. Sharon Zaude Shalom, the founding director of Ono Academic College’s International Center for the Study of Ethiopian Jewry, entitled, “Dialogues of Love and Fear” has been getting rave reviews. The semi-autobiographical book, published by Koren, recounts a dialogue between the son of a Kes (traditional Ethiopian religious leader) and the daughter of a Rabbi.
A recent review in the online journal, The Jewish Link, begins by trying to capture Rabbi Dr. Sharon’s unique experience. In his life he has: herded sheep in Ethiopia, trekked through the Sudanese desert, participated in a Mossad operation to save Ethiopian Jews, was raised in an orphanage, excelled as an officer in an elite IDF unit, got a Ph.D. in Jewish philosophy and founded Ono’s Ethiopian Center. He also continues to serve as the congregational rabbi at an Ashkenazi synagogue in Kiriat Gat where he sometimes gives sermons in Yiddish.
The review praises how the book’s conversations between the son of a Kes and the daughter of a Rabbi “deal with societal and theological questions, which highlight their different backgrounds but also their desire to genuinely listen and build bridges by understanding the perspective of the other.” This is indeed Rabbi Dr. Sharon’s way.
To read the full review, click here: https://jewishlink.news/features/55946-newly-translated-work-by-ethiopian-israeli-rabbi-offers-message-on-unity
