Lost But Not Forgotten
The Black Jews of Ethiopia
Journey with Jonathan Bernis

I spent the greater part of March, 2006,  in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, laboring with a team of 70 health care professionals to bring medical relief to the poorest Jewish communities on the earth - the Beit Avraham and Beta Israel. Many of those we helped with medical, dental, and eye care had never visited a doctor before in their lives! I came back to America humbled; deeply touched by the plight of these exceptional people, and committed to finding a way to improve the deplorable conditions in which they live. Many of the people I met told me to go back and tell you, our Jewish Voice partners, “shalom!” and how thankful they are for your kind generosity that made the medical help possible.

Deep in the heart of Ethiopia, nestled in the mountains of Gondar, and occupying the pitiable compounds of Addis Ababa, live two enigmatic, but forgotten communities of Black Jews: the Beta Israel (House of Israel) and the Beit Avraham (House of Abraham). Their origins are uncertain. Some trace their ancestry back to Menelik, the alleged son of King Solomon of Israel and the Queen of Sheba, while others believe they are direct descendants of Dan, one of the 12 Tribes of Israel, scattered and lost through the centuries. They have been abandoned by everyone, but not by God, and not by Jewish Voice!

Over the course of the two-week clinic, 7,512 people from both communities received medical, dental and optical care. Medicines were distributed, and more than 3,400 pairs of eyeglasses, many of them ground on-site to prescription, were provided completely free of charge.

Blindness, caused by cataracts and trachoma, is only one of several health problems that are endemic in these communities due to the conditions in which they live. Two eye surgeons, with their surgical teams, performed over 50 eye surgeries, returning sight to many that were blind or nearly blind. They removed cataracts and reversed the devastating effects of trachoma in many patients, and performed cornea transplants, giving sight to some who had never seen before. 

Four dentists worked 8-10 hours a day, utilizing portable dental units. The need and effectiveness was evidenced by the thousands of people who slept outside the gates at night waiting for the doors to open again the next morning so they could receive treatment.

The roughly 50,000 Beit Avraham are literally the poorest of the poor. They occupy a community in the district of Kechene the poorest district in Addis Ababa - in a country that is known as being one of the most impoverished in the world. Years ago, due to persecution and rejection by their Orthodox Christian neighbors, many of these Black Jews outwardly converted to Christianity in an attempt to keep their lands and blend into society.
T
oday, they live as ghosts of their history, outwardly Christian while maintaining and practicing their Jewish traditions in secret. As a result, Israel does not acknowledge their Jewish ancestry, thus they were excluded from the Israeli airlifts, and have little or no hope of Aliyah immigration to Israel. Yet, they are labeled as Falash (outsiders and strangers) by their Ethiopian countrymen, shunned and accused of many superstitious beliefs such as “Buda,” those possessing the evil eye.

We primarily came to the aid of the Beit Avraham community as the other community, the Beta Israel, is very isolated from foreigners. However, the first day of the clinic, I was approached by the elders of Beta

Israel asking for much-needed medical assistance. The Beta Israel live in  compounds near the Israeli Embassy and Consulate in Addis Ababa and Gondar in deplorable conditions - houses with dirt floors, no running water and very little if any access to medical attention. Many in the compounds have died from disease and malnutrition, especially infants and young children, waiting for the hope of immigration to Israel. Most have been waiting 8 years or more.

According to the head of the Jewish Agency stationed in Addis, the Beta Israel, unlike the Beit Avraham, have been recognized by Israel as “historically connected to the People of Israel.” Approximately 12 thousand Beta Israel now occupy the compound in Addis Ababa after leaving their homes in the mountains of northwestern Ethiopia with the hope of beginning a new life in their Homeland of Israel. Although the Israeli government began evacuating the Beta Israel back in 1984 in two major airlifts, Operation Moses in 1984 and Operation Solomon in 1991, many identified as Falash Mura (Ethiopian Jews having undergone a conversion to Christianity in past generations) were not permitted to go. In both Operations, hundreds of them were left standing on the tarmac as the planes loaded their passengers and then flew away.

The Falash Mura are caught between a rock and a hard place. They are shunned by their neighbors for their ancient Jewish practices and traditions. They cannot go back to their homes because they have since been occupied by hostile neighbors, yet they have no work permits and therefore, cannot get jobs in Addis Ababa.

As a response to pressure from Christians and Jews around the world, Former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, before suffering a severe stroke that left him in a coma, decided that up to 20,000 of the remaining Beta Israel in Ethiopia be brought to Israel by the end of 2007. However, at present, only 300 are being permitted to immigrate each month. At the current rate, it will take over five years to accomplish this directive, if in fact this   immigration continues at all under the new Israeli Administration.

Through this two week Medical Outreach - an expression of God’s love and care for a people abandoned by Israel and most of the world - more than 1200 of those treated came to faith in Yeshua as their Messiah. Over 800 healings and miracles were documented. Twelve people had their hearing restored, three people were healed of blindness, and a young girl who had been lame since birth was given the strength to walk.

Reflecting on my time spent with the team in Ethiopia, I am reminded of a lesson learned from my earliest outreach experiences... I’ve  learned that people don’t care what you know, until they know you care.

This proved to be true in these communities. Because the people received love and medical assistance, their hearts were open and they were eager to listen to the message that was shared.

We at Jewish Voice are working with the elders of the Beit Avraham Community to establish a critically-needed permanent medical clinic in the Kechene District of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. With your help and God’s blessing, we will see it happen!