One area of historical interest for me has always been that of African Jews. I remember hearing about Falasha jews, something I have found out is a pejorative term for Ethiopian Jews, when in my teens. The term Beta Israel being one they prefer.
Historic resources suggest that the Ethiopian Jews were one of the lost tribes of Israel scattered many years before Christ. Others suggest that they were just part of the Jewish Diaspora scattered before the Assyrian kingdom took control over the kingdoms of Israel and Judah in the 9th Century BC, and again with the Roman domination of the Middle East at the turn of the first century. In 1985 (Operation Moses) and again in 1990 (Operation Solomon) the Israeli government allowed the Beta Israel to relocate or make aliyah to Israel.
Whilst studying I found that there are many other Jewish populations/communities in Africa which trace their history back from the early twentieth century to thousands of years ago including
- The Abayudaya of Uganda
- Those in Timbuktu Mali
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Cape Verde
- The Lemba South Africa
- and the Rusape in Zimbabwe.
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We, the ETHIOPIAN-HEBREWS of the World are here to ORGANIZE and UNITE ALL Ethiopian newcomers from Israel and Ethiopia (i.e. Falash-Mura), especially young students coming to the USA. Along with the Lion Of Juda (LOJ) Mission Inc., the Beta Israel of North America is here to promote higher education, study English and learn leadership, political and media skills. To provide advice and assistance in receiving student grants and stipends from educational foundations, to serve as interns in Ethiopian and Israeli organizations, women advocacy groups, media, newspapers and in politics. To care for and promote the spiritual and cultural development of Ethiopian-Israeli and African Hebrew (Black Jews of Harlem, by Howard Brotz) in the diaspora.
This outreach has been sponsored by the official Lion of Judah Society (LOJS), the School of H.I.M. and the Ethiopic-Letter/Non-Greek (Non-Hellenist) Fraternities founded since 1989 by: H.H. Ras Iadonis TAFARI, Muse of the LOJ Brotherhood
http://www.binacf.org - The Beta Israel of North America (BINA) Cultural Foundation, Inc. is an organization developed for, by and of Ethiopian Jews. Founder: Tevles Barhany.
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