Author Description

In 1977 there were about one hundred Ethiopian Jews in Israel; now there are more than one hundred thousand. Their exodus from their native land and their mass immigration to Israel is a unique historical event. This book is the first one to recount in photographs and candid interviews the challenging and inspiring accomplishments of Ethiopian Jews struggling to become Ethiopian Israelis. Featuring more than fifty men and women - religious leaders, soldiers, lawyers, students, actors, musicians, a member of the Knesset, and more - this book reveals their personal stories. A historical narrative that traces how some Ethiopians became Jewish and how they got to Israel. Then, in their own words, they reveal how they experience Israel as a part of its most impoverished and culturally different minority. Their dream is to become accepted and integrated without losing their own character, identity and values. They declare their devotion to their religious homeland and to overcoming the illiteracy, unemployment, crime and alienation that have plagued their community.