MY FAMILY
THE BETA ISRAEL CURRICULUM

DISPLACED  NATION

 Teachers should explain that the story of the Beta Israel’s attempted journeys to Jerusalem is best understood when considered within the context of some major historical events in the Torah – and with a clear comprehension of the chronological order in which these biblical events took place.

 Students should now be divided into pairs. Each pair should receive an envelope with 17 slips of paper. A different historical event from the Torah should be written on each slip of paper. The students’ task is to organize the 17 slips of paper – i.e., 17 historical events, into chronological order. (Correct order below)

 ·         Abraham and Sarah first arrive in the Land of Israel

·         Due to famine, Abraham and Sarah descend to Egypt

·         Abraham and Sarah return to the Land of Israel

·         Isaac is born to Abraham and Sarah

·         Isaac marries Rebecca

·         Twins are born to Isaac and Rebecca – they are named Esau and Jacob

·         Jacob marries Rachel and Leah, and together with his wives and two maidservants, has twelve sons

·         Joseph, the son of Jacob and Rachel, is sold by his brothers and brought to Egypt

 ·         Due to famine, Joseph’s brothers descend from the Land of Israel to Egypt

·         Joseph reveals his identity to his brothers

·         Jacob descends to Egypt to reunite with his son, Joseph

·         Pharoah enslaves the descendants of Jacob, who are known as the Children of Israel

·         The Children of Israel are enslaved for 210 years

·         The Children of Israel are saved from slavery and escape Egypt through the split Red Sea

·         The Children of Israel dream of returning to their ancestral Land of Israel

·         The Children of Israel wander in the desert for forty years before reaching the Land of Israel

·         The Children of Israel arrive in the Land of Israel

 

Once the students have completed this exercise teachers should briefly review the Torah story and answer questions. Teachers should then explain that the Jewish people have long held a foundational national memory of being displaced from our homeland. We experienced many miracles on our journeys home. For the Jewish people, the establishment of the State of Israel ended more than 2,500 years of exile. After a long and arduous journey, the Beta Israel has finally joined its family in the Land of Israel.

Ethiopian Jewish leader Jonah Bugala with the Council of Elders in a Beta Israel village. Credit: Gershon Levi