MY FAMILY
THE BETA ISRAEL CURRICULUM
IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY
Having explained the meaning of the Beta Israel, the importance of the community’s self-identified name (not Falasha), the belief in descent the lost Tribe of the Tribe of Dan (as relayed by Eldad HaDani), and alternative theories of origin, teachers should conclude this unit by returning to the Starter experiment:
You may remember that when we started this unit, I asked you to imagine a family that unfortunately became separated at a time of political distress. I then asked you whether a group of relatives torn from the rest during these challenging times should still be considered part of the greater family, even if they are very far apart. Can anyone tell me why they think I began this unit with that question?
The students should certainly now realize that an essential element of this curriculum is to emphasize the ties between the Beta Israel and other members of the Jewish people, and to underscore that we are all part of a single Jewish family. At this point, teachers should show students pictures of members of the Beta Israel during Operation Moses (1984) and Operation Solomon (1991), with particular emphasis on photos that depict their arrival in Israel.19 Teachers should then ask students to write captions for these photos, with the expectation that these descriptions will include the words “reunion,” “reunited,” “family,” “back together,” and “home.”
Members of the Beta Israel arriving in Israel. Credit: Moshik Brin / NPR20
18 The challenges of labels, identity, and identification could be discussed with reference to the terms “Black” and “African American,” for a local or contemporary context; drawing further from Jewish history, teachers may also wish to discuss terms such as “Marrano” (a pejorative used to describe Jews forced to convert to Christianity during and after the Inquisition) and “Anusim” (literally translated as “coerced [ones].” The latter term, Anusim, is gaining preference among many descendants of the community, as it describes Jews who were forced to convert against their will.
19 “Operation Solomon: A Look Back in Photos,” eJewish Philanthropy, https://ejewishphilanthropy.com/operation-solomon-a-look-back-in- photos/
20 Photograph, NPR: https://www.npr.org/2013/09/01/217356628/last- flight-of-ethiopia-to-israel-jewish-migration-program
