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A young child wears a velvet kippah in 1984 — a gift from a visiting Jew from
the outside world.
Shalom Street hands-on exhibit explores
the Ethiopian Jewish exodus to Israel.
ETHIOPIA PHOTOS BY JOAN ROTH
KERI GUTEN COHEN
Story Development Editor
T
wo decades ago, the first
wave of Ethiopian Jews
fulfilled a dream that had
sustained them as a people for
generations — they set foot in the
holy city of Jerusalem.
Abandoning their villages in the
Gondar province of northern
Ethiopia where famine, civil war
and an unstable government had
intruded, the Beta Israel (as they
call themselves, "people of the
House of Israel") set off on foot
carrying what belongings they
could. They crossed the desert,
heading for Sudan, where they
waited in refugee camps to be air-
lifted to Israel.
Today, Israel's Ethiopian popula-
tion numbers nearly 100,000.
More than half immigrated since
1990, with Operations Moses and
Solomon; about 30
percent were born in
Israel. More than
half are age 18 or
younger.
Theirs is a fascinating story that
will be told during the 20th
anniversary year through an out-
door exhibit on the grounds of the
Jewish ComMunity Center in
West Bloomfield. Mounted by
Shalom Street, the JCC's interac-
tive children's museum, "With
Stone Shoes: An Ethiopian Jewish
Journey" brings alive the Beta
Israel's rich cultural heritage and
allows visitors to glimpse firsthand
their journey through the desert to
the Promised Land. The exhibit
runs from July 10-Sept. 29 and is
funded through the Charles H.
Gershenson Trust Museum Fund.
The highlight of the 2,500-foot
tented exhibit is the recreation of
an Ethiopian Jewish village, com-
plete with an authentic tukel or
wood and thatched but typical of
where the Beta Israel lived and
prayed. Inside the 14-foot diame-
ter structure will be authentic
objects, such as clay bowls, color-
ful woven baskets, drums and
embroidered clothing. Images of
Jerusalem — the cornerstone of
their religious observance — hang
on the walls along with photo-
graphs taken by former Detroiter
Joan Roth, now living in New
York City, that illustrate everyday
life of the Beta Israel — from wor-
ship to the buna (coffee ceremony)
to baking Sabbath bread.
And there's plenty of opportuni-
ty to experience their lifestyle first-
hand in the village. Visitors can try
on Ethiopian clothing, attempt to
spin fluffy raw cotton into thread,
sit in a hollowed space before a
loom and add to a community
weaving, grind coffee beans with a
mortar and pestle, smell an array
of exotic spices, play Ethiopian
games, try their hand at metal-
smithing by embossing their
names in Amharic (Ethiopia's most
popular language) and fashion ves-
sels from clay.
Without giving
away the mechanics
of the exhibit, the
next phase allows visitors to imag-
ine the arduous trek across the
desert to Sudan. And the final ele-
ment deals with integration into
Israeli society, which has been both
rewarding and challenging — and
culturally transforming. The tight
close-knit family structure of the
Beta Israel villages is disappearing
amid Israel's urbanization.
"Stone Shoes" is a fine example
of Shalom Street's mission, says
Penny Blumenstein, museum chair-
man. "Having this Ethiopian village
continues the efforts of Shalom
Street to be a place where people
will see not only the positive
aspects of Jewish life and values,
but also the diversity of culture that
exists among the Jewish people."
"We're very excited this will offer
an opportunity for the entire metro-
politan community to share in an
experience that reflects on the immi-
grant story in a meaningful way."
Wendy Sadler, Shalom Street
director, agrees that the exhibit has
ON THE COVER
African
Journe
AFRICAN JOURNEY
Life in Ethiopia before
immigrating to Israel.
on page 22
SN
6/30
2005
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