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New account of Ethiopian Jews' escape reads like a suspense thriller.
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?I/JILMILIIL.X111.31(M.X.M.
and also delicate nature of the unfold-
ing events, and the book makes for
Special to the Jewish News
fast-paced reading.
There are no footnotes here; it's
s Jews prepare to com-
more
of a memoir than a work of
memorate the exodus of
thorough
history.
the Jews from Egypt dur-
Other
books
written on the subject
The
Diplomat's
Role
ing Passover seders next
have
been
published
in Hebrew only,
Naim
has
served
in
Israel's
foreign
week, a just-released book adds new
Exodus
from
Ethiopia by
including
service for 43 years, as the cultural
details to our understanding of a
Micha
Feldman,
who
worked
for the
attache
to
Japan
and
the
United
States
more recent miraculous escape.
Jewish
Agency
at
the
time,
and
and
as
the
Israeli
ambassador
to
the
Saving the Lost Tribe: The
Operation Solomon: A Year in 31
United Nations, Finland, South Korea
Restoration and Redemption of the
by Jacob Friedman, who then
Hours
and
Ethiopia.
Ethiopian Jews by Asher Naim
worked
for the JDC in Ethiopia and
Finland was his last posting before
(Ballantine; $25.95) describes the
Israel.
(Both
Feldman and Friedman
Addis Ababa, and in fact he had just
miraculous escape of 14,000
are
mentioned
in Naim's book.)
returned
from
Helsinki,
where
he
had
Ethiopian Jews to Israel in May
Surviving
Salvation: The
In
English,
been
very
involved
with
the
emigra-
1991, in the midst of a civil war
Ethiopian Jewish Family in Transition
tion
of
Jews
from
what
was
then
the
there.
by Dr. Ruth Westheimer and Dr.
Soviet Union, and was unpacking in
Naim, who had been 'Israel's
Steven Kaplan describes the rescue
Jerusalem when he got a call about
ambassador to Ethiopia at the time,
operation, although it focuses on the
this new assignment.
speaks of their return as "redemp-
transition from African villages to
At
first
he
was
reluctant,
but
he
tion," in its ancient sense, the buying
Israeli cities.
soon
realized
the
importance
of
this
back of the freedom of another per-
Stephen Spector, a professor of
new
posting.
son.
English
and Jewish studies at the State
"I
fell
in
love
with
the
country
and
"No matter what the price, no
University
of New York at Stony
the Ethiopian people," he says during
matter what the risk, it was impera-
Brook, is just finishing
a recent visit to
tive that every effort was made to
• up a book that he
.
New York.
redeem the life of another Jew," he
expects will be pub-
He found the
writes.
• L. F.AWN G THE
lished within the next
Jews
there
to
be
The -operation was one of team- -
year.
"attached, umbili-
work. Other major players included
His approach is a
cally, to the Bible"
Uri Lubrani, a high-level official in
THE REsCITE AND REDEMPTION OE TILE
more
scholarly one, pre-
the Ministry of Defense; members of and was struck by
senting an overall histo-
their
culture,
polite-
ETHIOPIAN
JEWS
the Israeli Air Force; representatives
ry of Operation
ness, -patience and
of the Jewish Agency and the Joint
Solomon, including the
respect
for
the
eld-
Distribution Committee; and
political events leading
erly.
American officials.
up to it. He has been
"Naim's book
Along with Lubrani, Naim served
working
on the book
sheds light on the
as the link to the Ethiopian govern-
for seven years and has
role
of
the
Israeli
ment. They negotiated with
interviewed more than
ambassador in that
Ethiopian president Mengistu
200 participants.
operation,
which
Miriam and members of his regime,
was little known.
who saw the Ethiopian Jews, or Beta
This is an inter-
Israel, as a bargaining tool in their
Still Involved
esting angle, the
own power struggles. Naim coordi-
Along with describing
role of a diplomat
nated logistics and worked to raise
the
remarkable
events, Naim conveys
in
.a
place
and
time
of
drama,"
says
$35 million, secured by American
his appreciation of the land with its
Amir
Shaviv,
assistant
executive
vice
donors.
ancient beauty. He agrees with others'
president of special operations of the
Some of the events seem like
description of Ethiopia as the "Tibet
Joint Distribution Committee. The
. they're right out of the script of a
'of
Africa," with its deep spirituality:
organization
had
a
pivotal
role
in
thriller, although at one point after
very
much connected to the landscape.
planning
and
executing
the
operation
an extraordinary request, Lubrani
Before
leaving Ethiopia 11 months
both
in
the
U.S.
and
in
the
field.
reminds Kasa Kabede, Mengistu's
after
he
arrived,
Naim tried to press
close adviser, that "this isn't a James
officials there to spend the $35 million
Bond film, Kasa."
released by the State Department to
Operation Solomon
Naim describes how, in the final
build an advanced irrigation system to
This
is
the
first
English-language
moments of the airlift, Kabede was
end the cycles of famine, plant cotton
book
on
Operation
Solomon
by
an
smuggled out, as he had requested,
as the basis for a textile industry and
insider.
Naim
captures
the
excitement
along with the Beta Israel. Carried out
SANDEE BRAWARSKY
OPEN 7 DAYS
Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m.-1 0 p.m.
to the Israeli plane on a stretcher to
avoid identification, he spent some
time in Israel and is now in the United
States, according to the author.