▪

Three Far-Off Jewish Communities,
and Awakening Falasha Judaism

World Jewish Affairs, report-
ing on recent surveys in several
countries. brings the following
information to light.
In Yugoslavia, a country of
18.000,000 people, there are ap-
proximately 7,000 Jews. The
census was taken by the Fed-
eration of Jewish Communi-
ties in Yugoslavia, a member
of the World Jewish Congress.
There was an official count of
6,691 Jews, but it is estimated
that several hundred more were
missed because of various rea-
sons. An interesting and en-
lightening fact is that of these
Jews, some 90% are affiliated
with the Jewish Communities
("Communities" are the equiva-
lent of American Jewish federa-
tions in many European and
Asian countries) of Yugoslavia.
Israel Yeshayahu, a member
of the Knesset, in an address to
the Israel branch of the World
Jewish Congress, told of in-
formation he has gathered on
the Jewish population of Eritrea
and Ethiopia.
The Jewish population of As-
mara, capital of Eritrea, now
comprises 300 persons, most of
them originating from Aden
and Yemen. Close contact is
still maintained with Aden
Jews. but the Yemen Jewish
population has been absorbed,
almost down to the last man,
by Israel. The Asmara Jewish
community maintains a syna-
gogue, a shoichet and a Hebrew
school teacher. Approximately
90 children attend the Jewish
afternoon school. More children
wish to enter but the Hebrew
school is filled to absolute
capacity.
In Adas Abba, capital of the
Kingdom of Ethiopia (ruled by
Haille Selassie, "The Lion of
Judah,") there are 20 Jewish
families, comprising altogether
80 Jewish persons.
In addition there are the
Falashas, a fascinating topic all
by themselves.
Estimates of their number
vary anywhere between 20,000
and 60,000. They were unknown
to the main body of Jewry until
their re-discovery a little more
than 50 years ago by Prof.
Jacques Faitelovitch (who died
in 1955). They are black-
skinned Jews who have been
cut off from the rest of Jewry
for centuries.
The origins of the Falashas
are still shrouded in mystery.

They themselves maintain that
they originate from the time
of the Queen of Sheba's mission
to King Solomon. There have
been other theories advanced,
but it seems certain that they
date back at least to the time
of the second Temple. At one
time, the Falashas numbered in
the hundreds of thousands, but
many persecutions through the
ages and the effect of mission-
aries has dwindled them down
to their present number of
identifiable Jews.
Their Jewish observances are
rudimentary, but many glimpses
of authentic Jewish tradition
and law can be found in their
practices. Their revival as a
Jewish community seems un-
likely, and they are the subject
of much keen competition be-
tween various Christianizing
missionaries as to who is to
convert them. The Falashas,
with their renewed contact with
the rest of Jewry, have taken
to resisting prosletyzing efforts.
There. are some Falashas in
Israel now and others who have
been to Israel have returned
to their people to add fuel to
the flickering spark of Judaism
among the Falashas.
Thanks to Prof. Faitelovitch
(who, incidentally, introduced
them to Hanukah, one of the
Jewish holidays they did not
have), and more recently the
Jewish Agency, there is a He-
brew school established fOr the
Falashas in Ethiopia, and those
Falashas who have been to Is-
rael return with a burning
sense of mission — "We are
going to save our tribe," they
proudly declare.

Strictly Confidential

By PHINEAS J. BIRON
Personal Build-Up:
Columnists have a tendency
to boost themselves and tell the
world about their scoops and
even private triumphs . . . We
are no exception . . . Next
week United Artists will re-
lease a film under the title of
"Profile Of A Miracle" . .
It is a one reeler in colors and
it was shot in Israel . . . The
movie deals with Israel's un-
precedented advance in science
. . . The focus of the movie is
Israel's center of research in
pure and applied science—The
Weizmann Institute of Science
at Rehovoth . . . The personal
angle? . . Well, yours truly
wrote the screenplay and the
narration and functioned as
general co-ordinator of the pro-
duction unit . . . The film was
producer by Praesens Films,
a Swiss studio headed by Lazar
Wechsler whose film credits in-
clude such smashs as "The
Search," "The Last Chance,"
"Heidi" and Heidi and Peter"
.. . Wechsler is a Russian Jew
who has resided for the past 40
years in Zurich . . . He is an
extraordinary personality, who
besides his film interests built
up quite a financial empire in
advertisement and other fields
. . . He is at heart however an
artist, whose creative gifts cover

Leonard Kasle
Candidate for
Re-Election

a lot of ground so to speak .. .
Well, it was Wechsler who
took over the production of the
Israeli science picture . . . He
is a warm Zionist and a gen-
erous supporter of the Weiz-
mann Institute . . . The Israeli
movie was a labor of love for
him . . . It was a rare experi-
ence to work with him . . . we
shot the picture last summer
in July . . The major sequence
of the film was lensed in the
Negev and, believe us, the heat
was something to remember
. . . Even the nights were un-
bearable . . . One of the epi-
sodes required a few Arabs with
their camels . . . We hired an
Arab village at the cost of 100
Israeli pounds . . . The shooting
took 10 minutes and the leader
of the village, an old sheik,
grinned happily when he was
paid . .. We also hired several
Arab watchmen to guard our
equipment, including some ex-
plosives, overnight in the wild
erness . . . In the morning when
we resumed work, we found
everything in perfect order .. .
Nothing was missing . . . Later
we heard that some youngsters
from across the Jordanian bor-
der had tried to steal the ex-
plosives but our Arab guards
beat them off . . .
We think you'll like the pic-
ture which will come to your
neighborhood theaters before
too long .. . It tells a story of
courage and resourcefulness .. .
It shows how a geophysical
unit fought its way thru the
Negev to survey the soil and
search for oil and water . . . It
is a simple picture, rather dif-
ferent from others made in Is-
rael . . . There is no propaganda
in it • . . Leopold Lindtberg, the
director and Berna the camera
man are the first rate crafts-
men who know their business
. . . They wanted to get on film
the atmosphere and the colors
of Israel . . . They were moved
by the people and the scientists
at the Weizmann Institute and
tried to catch the passionate
fervor of these men of research
in their laboratories . . . Yes,
we think that you'll like the
picture, which runs only 15
minutes but tells a big story
of accomplishments . . . We
had selected the Kibutz Yatvata
as the most characteristic Negev
settlement . . . It is situated
only a few hundred yards from
the Jordanian frontier . . . The
youngsters who run it are won-

Leonard Kasle, member of
the Detroit Board of Education,
this week announced that he is
a candidate for re-election.
The first conference called by
Kasle will seek renomination
a major social agency to study at the primary election in Feb-
on a nation-wide basis the prob- ruary.
lems of providing leisure-time
activities for the family as a
unit will be held in New York Wise Candidate for
City Dec. 1 and 2. The National Circuit Court Bench
Jewish Welfare Board has sche-
John M. Wise, referee in the
duled a "consultation" on fam- Traffic and Ordinance Division,
ily programming, in the course Recorder's Court, has an-
of which professional and vol- nounced his candidacy for
unteer workers of these family- judge of the Circuit Court for
serving agencies will examine
Wayne Coun-
many aspects of planning and
ty at the Feb.
providing Center activities for
16 primary
mother, dad and the youngsters.
election. Wise
Keynote speaker will be Dr.
has been a
Sol W. Ginsburg, president of
referee since
the New York City Society for
1945.
Clinical Psychiatry.
Long active
p) in legal and
O
civic circles in
the commun-
ity, Wise has
lived in De-
troit since
1920. He is a
graduate of
John Wise the Wayne
State Uniyersity Law School. 17,,t
He is active in law circles and
in the Jewish community.
.11.1i1 Zit,
He is an honorary member of
the Detroit Police Department's ,
Lieutenants and Sergeants As-
sociation; member and legal
advisor of the Crisis Club of
Detroit; and on the board of
directors of the Wayne County
Civic League. He is a member
of the Southeastern Michigan
Association of Chiefs of Police,
on the lawyer's committee for
!; 64171
the annual United Foundation
Drive and a member of the
board of directors of the De-
troit Service Group.
Married, Wise lives with his
wife, Sadye Ann, and his daugh-
ter, Peggy Jo, 17, at 20257 War-
Elath, Israel's port on the Gulf of Aqaba, is being built
rington. Another daughter, Car-
as a shipping center, residential area and winter resort through
olyn Sue, is married to Ronald
the use of State of Israel Bond dollars. In the past three years,
E. Check, who is engaged in
Elath has grown tenfold, and now has a population of more reasearch at the Chrysler Cor-
than 5,000. Of decisive importance is Elath's role as a gateway poration Missile Plant on Van
of commerce and' trade with the countries of Asia and Africa. Dyke.
Shown above at the port of Elath is a vessel loading cement
front the Nesher factory for transport to an East African
A cord of wood is a stack
market. The harbor facilities are being expanded with the eight feet long, four feet wide
(n'P'71Y n'141+ nil? nktrinl)
assistance of funds provided through Israel Bonds.
and four feet high.

JWB's Parley to Study
Leisure-Time Programs

Israel Bonds Developing Elath
as Commerce Gateway with East

derful looking boys and girls
just out of the army . .. All of
them are crack shots for the
location of Yatvata is of great
strategic importance and in case
of hostilities vulnerable and
easily accessible to Arab marau-
ders . . . At Yatvata we shot
a few scenes showing the bles-
sing of water supply due to
scientific know how . . .
Don't mind us . . . We are
really proud to have had a share
in the making of this motion
picture which will explain more
about the determination of our
Israeli brothers in the build-
ing of their country than many
an editorial or even our most
eloquent speakers . . . Don't
miss "Profile of a Miracle"
when it comes to your city.

Hebrew Corner

Excellent Worker

Translation of Hebrew column.
Published by Brit Ivrit Olamit.

Baruch Rahamim immigrated
to the country several years
ago and he works in a glass
factory in Rishon Letzion. It
is already a long time that the
management feels that Baruch
is a serious and clever work-
man.
Baruch did not study much
at school. At an early age he
began to work, because there
were many children in his fam-
ily and he had to help feed
them. He did not study en-
gineering, though he always
wanted to be an engineer. He
did not even study at a trade
school.
Baruch's job was to blow
glass—to impart various shapes
to the glass while it is hot and
soft. Baruch did his work well,
but all the time he thought of
how to do it faster and better.
He thought and acted. In the
evenings, when he returned
from work, he would sit at
home and occupy himself with
the preparation of a new in-
strument for blowing glass.
After several months he
brought the instrument to the
factory in order to test it. The
results were excellent. With
the help of the new instrument
the work was made much more
rapidly than before.
This year Baruch received
the "Kaplan" Prize—the gov-
ernment prize to outstanding
workers.

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