Metro
AFRICAN JOURNEY from page 22
A Beta Israel woman draws water for cooking, circa
1984.
We do know their Torah or Orit was translated
from ancient Roman. They practice pre-Talmudic
Judaism, a strict Torah interpretation without aid of
rabbinic commentaries. They have priests not rabbis.
They do not wear kippot or tallit or have b'nai
mitzvot. Their holy books are written in Ge'ez, a
classic Ethiopian language. Sabbath is central to
their observance. And for generations, they believed
they were the last Jews on Earth.
Only after other Jews discovered their villages did
they have modern-day Torahs or any of the trap-
pings of contemporary Judaism.
They stood out in African society because they
forged iron tools and fired clay vessels, according to
Davis' research. Smoke streaming from blacksmith
shops was common in Jewish villages, and an iron
Mogen David topped their synagogues. Other tribes
depended on them, but with that came a notion that
they were strangers (Falashas), almost magical. Some
Africans believed the Beta Israel had the ability to trans-
form themselves into hyenas at night and do harm.
Once they arrived in Israel, their culture changed,
Davis explained. Their patriarchal society, where eld-
ers were respected, was challenged as children learned
the ways of modern culture faster, and their fathers
didn't have traditional means to earn a living. The
Israelis also faced a huge dilemma of how to integrate
this new group of immigrants with such vastly differ-
ent experiences in a way that was not demeaning and
allowed them to preserve their sense of integrity.
Detroit's Jewish community is involved in a pro-
gram that achieves that goal. The PACT (Parents
and Children Together) program in Netanya, located
on Israel's Mediterranean coast, is an early childhood
intervention program for preschoolers from birth to
age 6 and their parents. (See PACT story on the
accompanying poster.)
The success of the program, which also involves
Detroit professional and lay leaders, speaks well of
the determination to make sure the Beta Israel feel
comfortable in the place they dreamed so long of as
their homeland.
Harlene Appelman, former chief education officer
of Federation's Alliance for Jewish Education and
now executive director of the New York City-based
Covenant Foundation, feels "Stone Shoes" offers
many valuable lessons.
"First, there's the power of faith — these people
believed over thousands of years that they would
arrive in Jerusalem and their dream was realized,"
she said.
"Second is the power of rescue. A core value of
Judaism is the immediacy of rescuing another Jew
and another human being. No other country has a
record like that of the State of Israel for rescuing
people and Jews in distress.
"Finally, there's the power of tzedakah and communi-
ty, proving that a community working together globally
can accomplish more than each individual." ❑
Scenes from life in a Ethiopian Jewish village before the exodus 20 years ago.
6/30
2005
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"With Stone Shoes: A Jewish Ethiopian
Journey" runs from July 10-Sept. 29 on the
grounds of the Jewish Community Center in
West Bloomfield. Hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Sunday through Thursday. Reservations rec-
ommended. Tours are scheduled on the hour.
Call 1-877-SHALOM3 for reservations.