Ethiopian Jews (Beta Israel self, that is, the house of Israel) - a part of the Jewish people to the 70s of the 20th century concentrated in northern Ethiopia, and since the 70s resettlement in Israel. In Ethiopia, local Jews called Falasha, ie "Exiles".
Externally, the Ethiopian Jews are no different from other Ethiopians before moving to Israel there was no difference in language. The only difference from the surrounding population was Jewish religion, while the majority of the population of Ethiopia is Christian (60.8%), and Islam (32.8%).
There are different versions of the origin of Ethiopian Jews. Themselves Beta Yisrael tell two different legends about their roots. One of them says that they are the descendants of Menelik I (son of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba Meakedy) and its people. Menelik arrived in Ethiopia in the 10th century BC, with 12 Jewish families and founded a dynasty that ruled Ethiopia nearly 3,000 years, until 1974. Another version, which has been recognized in Israel on an official level and served as the basis for the relocation of Ethiopian Jews in Israel, is that Beta Israel - descendants of one of the tribes of Israel disappeared, namely the tribe of Dan, who fled first to Egypt and then to Ethiopia after the revolt of the ten tribes of Israel in the 10th century BC
With Egypt and other related versions of the origin of Ethiopian Jews. For example, they are the descendants of the Jews, separated from Moses during the Exodus from Egypt and gone to Ethiopia. There is a theory that after the destruction of the First Temple in the 6th century BC of Jews fled to Egypt, where he remained until the time of
Cleopatra . After her fall Cleopatra supported the Jews fled to Ethiopia.
Most scientists believe the Ethiopian Jews to convert to Judaism in Ethiopia. Judaism could penetrate from Sheba (Saba) in South Arabia, whose colony was in Ethiopia (this theory is in common with the legend of the Queen of Sheba son) or Egypt (in Egypt on the island of Elephantine, on the other hand modern Aswan 5 in. BC. E. There was a Jewish settlement).
In recent years, it has been hypothesized that Judaism never penetrated into Ethiopia, and faith Falashas grown from a local Christian sect, which adopted the biblical Old Testament practice.
Ethiopian Jews lived in close contact with Christians and their influence was mutual. In the Ethiopian Christianity, there are many Jewish elements at the same time in faith Beta Yisrael many taken from Christianity, including their books. With Jewish books, such as the Talmud Ethiopian Jews were unfamiliar because of their isolation from other groups of Jews.
Specificity beliefs Ethiopian Jews can be called monastic tradition borrowed from Christianity and African barbaric custom of circumcision of girls. Among the members of the Beta Israel complied with monogamy. Divorce is rarely permitted, and only adultery was considered sufficient grounds for divorce. Family life in the community usually feature top. For this reason, sexually transmitted diseases, which are widespread in Ethiopia, including beta-Israel hardly observed.
Ethiopian Jews are very strictly observe Shabbat (the Sabbath). Stopped work on Friday at noon. In preparation for the Sabbath was necessarily purification by immersion in water and dressing up in clothes Saturday. After sunset, the fire was quenched and candles on Shabbat all the time. It was forbidden to draw water, to go beyond the boundaries of the settlement and have sexual intercourse. Most of the people spent the day in the synagogue.
Synagogue in Ethiopia
In the 19th century, many Ethiopian Jews were forcibly baptized. Now their descendants are called Falash Mura. Their exact number is unknown, called the figures from a few thousand to a million people. Most of them are eager to return to Judaism and moved to Israel. However, many Ethiopian Jews in Israel believe that Falash Mura no right to be called Jews.
As already mentioned, the Ethiopian Jews are not very different from other Ethiopians, however, due to a mixture of Hamitic and Semitic elements in Ethiopian Jews there is a big difference in skin color and facial features, sometimes resembling the African type (Agau) and sometimes Semitic type (very similar the type of Oriental Jews). The community has preserved the notion that a dark-skinned, with obvious African features Ethiopian Jews - barium - are descendants of slaves who took beta faith of Israel.Group of barium, which represents both status and origin, a group opposed to Chua ("red"), which, according to tradition, came from Israel, supposedly posmugleli due to the climatic conditions of the African (Ethiopian Jews popular belief claims that after moving to Israel the skin turns white again real Jews). Chua usually do not intermarry with barium. There is also a small group of mixed origin ("red-black"), which appeared as a result of the relationship between men and slaves Chua barium.
Yityish Aynaw - Israeli model, Miss Israel 2013. She was born in Ethiopia. Moved to a 12-year-old in Israel, where she became the first black woman to win the title of "Miss Israel." It is part of my
top most beautiful Jewish women. 
In 1973, the Sephardic Chief Rabbi Ovadia Yosef Israel recognized community Beta Israel Jews, descendants of the tribe disappeared (Dana), meeting the requirements of Halacha (Jewish law). This has opened the opportunity for the community aliyah (return of Jews to Israel). Because of opposition from the Ethiopian Israeli authorities had to resort to a series of military operations, such as "Operation Moses" (1984-1985) and "Solomon" (1991), as a result of each of which was exported from Ethiopia to Israel for 14 thousand people. At the same time thousands of people were killed on the road.
Now the number of Ethiopian Jews in Israel is about 130 thousand people, of which one third was born in Israel. Most Ethiopian Jews who migrated from Ethiopia, was illiterate, did not know
Hebrew , never saw the city and did not know any economy but natural. Among Ethiopian Jews over 45 years the unemployment rate is 65%, and in terms of wages Ethiopian Jews are inferior to 30-40% even the Arabs of Israel, not to mention the other Israelites.
The big problem for Ethiopian Jews is discrimination against them in Israel. Polls show that 57% of Israelis believe unacceptable marriage of his daughter with the Ethiopian Jews, while 39% disagree to marry the son of a woman of Beta Israel. Statistics show that 93% of men and 85% women among Ethiopian Jews marry members of their community.
Miss Israel 2013 Yityish Aynaw campaigning for white relations and Ethiopian Jews:
Had a great response when you dispose of blood Ethiopian Jews in a clinic in Israel. This caused unrest among the Ethiopians, who had to suppress the Israeli police.
Demonstration of Ethiopian Jews in Israel against discrimination
At the same time, it is worth noting that the younger generation of Ethiopian Jews, especially born in Israel, gradually penetrates into different spheres of life in Israeli society: politics, religion, sports, show business, etc.
A few photos of famous Ethiopian Jews in Israel:
Alali Adamso (b. 1963, Ethiopia) - Israeli politician, a Knesset member of the 18th convocation of the Likud Party.
Tahounia Rubel - Israeli model, the winner of the Israeli version of the show "Big Brother." Born on February 20, 1988 in Ethiopia, at the age of 3 years old, she and her family were taken to Israel as part of a military operation "Solomon".
Sirak M. Sabahat - Israeli actor. Born in Ethiopia in 1981.
Ester Rada - Israeli actress and singer. Born in Israel in 1985.
Shlomo Molla - Israeli politician, a Knesset member from 2008 to 2013. Born in Ethiopia in 1965.
Esti Elias - Israeli model
Shmuel Beru - Israeli actor and director
Shani Mashsha - Israeli model
Israeli soldiers from the Ethiopian Jews
Synagogue of Ethiopian Jews. Netivot, Israel
Post time 15-3-2015 07:53 PM
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