MY FAMILY
THE BETA ISRAEL CURRICULUM
OUTREACH III: 1904-1948
Teachers should proceed to explain:
In 1904, a student of Joseph Halévy named Dr. Jacques Faitlovitch (1881-1955) “visit[ed] the Jews in Ethiopia and develop[ed] a strong attachment to the community.”93 At that time, Dr. Faitlovitch estimated that the Beta Israel community numbered about 60,000, following years of mass losses from drought and plagues.94 Dr. Faitlovitch’s role on behalf of Ethiopian Jewry was so important that Rabbi Menachem Waldman, a contemporary activist, has written, “In the history of world Jewry’s ties with [the] Beta Israel in Ethiopia, the place of honor goes to one man alone for his outstanding role, Dr. Jacques Faitlovitch.”95
Dr. Faitlovitch’s involvement was unparalleled. He became the emissary of the World Pro-Falasha Committee and traveled widely, telling global Jewry about the Beta Israel. Members of the Beta Israel wrote letters to world Jewish leaders describing their plight, and Dr. Faitlovitch faithfully translated and delivered each letter, and extended the same service for letters in return. Dr. Faitlovitch was the key contact between the Beta Israel and global Jewry at that time, opening wondrous doors for both.
At this point, students should be asked to search the internet for photographs of Dr. Jacques Faitlovitch with members of the Beta Israel in Ethiopia, which teachers should print or post for the class to explore.
Teachers should then explain that in 1908, representatives of the Beta Israel wrote a letter to world Jewry, which Dr. Faitlovitch translated and shared widely. Students should then read the following text:
| BETA ISRAEL LETTER TO WORLD JEWRY, 1908 |
| “Pity us and pray for us. Thank God, we have clung to our faith in one G-d and the Law of Moses… In past times we suffered travail and distress, and many of us were forced to convert to Christianity. Now we have a good King, thank God…. [However] because we have no schools and because our books have been destroyed… the missionar- ies have induced our brethren to betray [the faith]… If we get books, a school, and teachers so our children may study, we shall be greatly content. We cannot carry this out under our own strength.” |
Having read this letter, students should be asked:
1. In the early twentieth century, what was the greatest threat facing the Beta Israel?
2. In the eyes of the Beta Israel, what was the solution to this threat?
Student answers should focus on the Beta Israel’s fear of losing connection to Judaism because of forced conversions to Christianity, and their firm belief in the need for education to secure their future as Jews.
Following discussion, teachers should explain:
In response to this request, Dr. Faitlovitch made accessible Jewish education96 a top priority, core to his vision for the Beta Israel. He established a Jewish school in the Gondar province97 in 1913 and in Addis Ababa98 in 1923. He helped members of the Beta Israel attend schools in Jerusalem and Europe and trained them to teach their fellow Ethiopian Jews.99 As Rabbi Waldman (the contemporary activist) explains, “Faitlovitch never allowed Ethiopian Jewry to disappear from the attention of world Jewry.”100
He established a Jewish school in the Gondar province97 in 1913 and in Addis Ababa98 in 1923. He helped members of the Beta Israel attend schools in Jerusalem and Europe and trained them to teach their fellow Ethiopian Jews.99 As Rabbi Waldman (the contemporary activist) explains, “Faitlovitch never allowed Ethiopian Jewry to disappear from the attention of world Jewry.”100
93 Ibid.
94 Waldman, The Jews of Ethiopia: The Beta Israel Community, 56.
95 Ibid.
96 It should be noted that as an observant Jew, part of Dr. Faitlovitch’s vision was to educate the Beta Israel and inspire them to adopt the halakhic rabbinic practices of Judaism that had developed across the Diaspora in the millennia since the Beta Israel first moved to Ethiopia (prior to the destruction of the First Temple). As Micha Feldman writes, “[Dr. Faitlovitch) brought mainstream halakhic Judaism to Ethiopia and tried to impart it to the whole community” (On Wings of Eagles, xiii). As noted in Unit 5: Laws and Customs, there are some members of the Beta Israel who welcomed such changes, but others – including Rabbi Dr. Sharon Shalom – have argued that adoption of mainstream halakha has done a disservice to the traditions that maintained by the Beta Israel for thousands of years in Ethiopia.
97 Shalom, From Sinai to Ethiopia, 69.
98 The school in Addis Ababa closed in 1936 due to the Italian See Waldman, The Jews of Ethiopia: The Beta Israel Community, p. 65.
99 It should be noted that Dr. Faitlovitch received vocal support from chief rabbis of Palestine, i.e., Rabbi Abraham Isaac HaCohen Kook and Rabbi Yaakov See Waldman, The Jews of Ethiopia: The Beta Israel Community, pp. 64-65.
100 Waldman, The Jews of Ethiopia: The Beta Israel Community, 58.
