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The Southern Israelite
The Story of The Fa las has
By C. DAVIDSON
[ABYSSINIA is a country so distant from
ours that it took an elaborate coronation
ceremony in honor of the new Emperor
to turn the spotlight of public attention
upon that African land. For Jews, how
ever, Abyssinia has held a special interest
for the last quarter century, during which
Dr. Jacques Faitlovitch, explorer and
scholar, has been trying to preserve the
fifty thousand Falashas (colored Jews
of Abyssinia) as members of the Jewish
community. A highly interesting inter
view on this fascinating Jewish tribe, by
C. Davidson, distinguished writer who in
private life is the wife of Prof. Israel
Davidson.—THE EDITOR.]
Recently there arrived on our shores a strange
figure. His dark countenance was brought into
prominence by his unique white costume of hand-
woven doth, and he aroused the interest of every
one who saw him. lie belongs to that interesting
group of Abyssinian Jews known as the “ Fala
shas,” whose discovery forms one of the greatest
romances in modern Jewish history.
Tamaarat Emanuel—for that is his name—is
the first of his people to set foot on this conti
nent. lie may well plead: “Look not upon me
because 1 am swarthy, that the sun has tanned
me,” for his color might possibly prejudice per
sons so inclined, lie was quite surprised to learn
that color makes a difference in America. No
where in Europe did this problem present itself,
and he was unaware of its existence. While he
is as dark ns some Negroid types, his features
are distinctly (’aueasion. lie looks distinguished,
and has a face that is not easily forgotten.
lie commands several languages, but unfor
tunately English is not included among them.
Those who can speak with him have found him
a fine, cultured gentleman. He speaks a beau
tiful, fluent Hebrew and is thoroughly familiar
with Hebrew lore, llis eyes light up and his whole
being is electrified when he is able to join in a
learned discourse. In addition to being scholarly
Mr. Emanuel has a sense of worldly values and
is of a practical turn of mind—a rare combination.
In the few months he expects to remain here he
hopes to learn English and to make contacts that
will be of value to his people. He is the living
example of the possibility of raising the Falashas
trom a primitive state to a civilized one in less
than two decades. For the Jews of Abyssinia are
the artisans of the country, and are looked up to
by the natives as being a superior group. The
new King, who recently celebrated his coronation
with great pomp, is very friendly to his Jewish
subjects, and when he learned of Mr. Emanuel’s
prospective trip to America issued official papers
for him in order to lessen any difficulties he
might meet with in traveling in foreign lands.
He also granted him permission to wear the of
ficial uniform, which enhances his appearance.
M hile the country is a very primitive one, and
there is little or no opportunity for education
there, the Jews—in common with their brethren
the world over—are keen for learning. As Mr.
Emanuel says: “They do not ask for charity, nor
do they desire it; they only wish for an oppor-
T. EMANUEL
A Fdl as ha Jew
tuuii/j iu ueuuiiie
°f Israel. They are self-supporting, but have n
money. They live like all primitive people, b
exchanging commodities. ’ ’
How backward the country is may be judge<
from the fact that the short distance from th
Gulf of Aden to the capital, Addis-Abeba, takes
three days by the only railroad in the country
i he reason for this is that the train goes onl
by day and halts at night, for fear that som
of the rails may be missing and a wreck result
MOON OF AB
Oh moon of Ah! oh saddest moon!
1 non who hast seen tny HP
W hen eyes did weep at Israels doom,
u hen shriek's were on the hills.
"A”, f ; rc a«d apord dUI blight my home
u/i. . UKIS r/wmed to thrall;
digged me on to’Rome
And dipped my heart in gain
° l u/i ay °J gloom! wh en Zion fellr
"hen foe destroyed my pride
And made my-life a lii'ing hell>
In lands whore I did bide.
ll ’hen l was cast on hostile shore
It tth naught a tent nor shield!
In H pagan homc^nTfieldV^ * ^
¥e Ap%ur;:£1 zJr ™
And kissedthc hand that did me wrona
I hat piled on me the rod!
Po , r * Mug ht can dim my faith the least >
. .? w done for human best •
rfn U - S u M i Shift Tom’showered east
To quern h the parching west. *
MAX boshwitz.
The rails, it seems, are laid in sandy
easily removed, and so are sometimes •
by the natives for other purposes.
The movement for the uplift of th, Falash
was started some twenty-five years
Jacques Faitlovitch, who has devoted ] lt v . r
their cause. At that time he took Mr. Emanuel
to Europe with him, and was instrumental in
giving him a secular as well as a religious eduea-
tion. He studied in the Jewish Seminary at Flor
once, under such scholars as Cassuto and the late
Chajes and Margolis.
He subsequently went back to Abyssinia and
became the principal of the school that was then
established, but has met with financial difficulties
in keeping it going. In addition to the physical
necessities he lacks books of any kind. They have
no text books, no Bibles, no Talmud. It is of
necessity a boarding school ; for the pupils come
from great distances, often traveling fur months
on foot in order to reach Addis-Abeba, where th?
school is located. There are few .Tews at the
capital, most of them living in small places in
scattered regions in the mountain fastnesses. The
King himself has become so interested in the
project that he has donated a substantial sum in
order to insure the erection of a proper building
with adequate equipment.
When asked about the status of woman among
the Falashas, Mr. Emanuel shook his head sadly.
“Therein lies a great tragedy,” he said. “The
women have always been held in high esteem and
were never constrained and looked upon like ser
vants, as with the other natives. But if the men
become educated and the women remain in ignor
ance as they must unless a separate school is
established for them—whom will the educated men
marry? Take myself, for example. I have never
married for just that reason. Co-education is im
possible; for my people are too Orthodox for
that. We must establish a school with a woman
teacher.”
Like the rest of the Falashas, Mr. Emanuel is
an intensely observant Jew. He eats only Kosher
food, and is a strict Sabbath observer, lie is a
worthy representative of the 50,000 Falashas and
hopes his presence here will bring the Western
world in closer touch with his people. 1I<“ wants
to establish a more sympathetic attitude between
American Jews and those in Abyssinia who have
kept the faith for thousands of years against
great odds, though they thought themselves the
last remnant of a lost race.
He finds it rather difficult, it seems, to enlist
interest in a people so far remote from America.
Some have said: “Why bother about them at
all?” Mr. Emanuel’s answer to this is that mis
sionaries have been and still are very active in
Abyssinia. As a matter of fact, nothing was
known of the existence of the Falashas until a
notice was discovered in an English missionary
periodical claiming that 50,000 Jews were con
verted in Abyssinia. They would be happy to do
the same for the remaining Jews.
The King—who, by the way, is of a listing
Semitic type—is determined to make hi- P e °F'
progressive, and will encourage any mean whi^
will bring about that end. If the mis- varies
undertake to establish schools the King
come them. Will the Jews of America a ,v t|'“ ;
opportunity to rescue 50,000 Jews from ui\k n
slip by?
(Copyright, 1931, S.A.F.S.)