Origins
What name does the Ethiopian Jewish community go by?
Beta Israel
Name 2 Jewish traditions that the Beta Israel kept throughout their history
Shabbat, Kosher, Celebrate major holidays (Rosh Hashanah, Sukkot, Passover), Circumcision
What does the word "falasha" mean?
Stranger or invader
Why did the Beta Israel want to leave Ethiopia?
Persecution + yearning for Zion
Which Israeli intelligence agency helped organize the secret rescue efforts?
Mossad
What tribe of Israel is it said that the Beta Israel are descendants of?
Tribe of Dan
In what year did Israel's head Sephardic Rabbi declare that the Beta Israel were in fact Jews?
1973
1. They believed that they would be a strain on Israel's limited resources
2. There was disagreement on whether the Beta Israel were "real Jews"
What neighboring country did many Beta Israel make their way through on the journey to Israel?
Sudan
What type of establishment/cover was used to smuggle Jews out of Sudan?
A diving resort
What does the name Beta Israel mean?
House of Israel
Why don't the Beta Israel celebrate Hanukkah?
The story of Hanukkah occurred long after the Beta Israel arrived in Ethiopia
Approximately how many Beta Israel were smuggled out of Ethiopia?
20,000+
Which activist helped bring attention to the community’s situation and worked with the Mossad?
Ferede Aklum
What was the name of the 1991 airlift operation that brought Ethiopian Jews to Israel?
Operation Solomon