Some eleven thousand Beta Israel—Ethiopian Jews—immigrate to …
Years: 1985 - 1985
August
Some eleven thousand Beta Israel—Ethiopian Jews—immigrate to Israel in 1984 and 1985 from the country's drought-prone and crowded north.
The conditions of the Beta Israel had steadily improved from the late nineteenth century, and tens of thousands of Beta Israel live in the region north of Lake Tana.
Beta Israel men are traditionally ironsmiths, weavers, and farmers.
Beta Israel women are known for their pottery.
The Beta Israel have a Bible and a prayer book written in Ge'ez, the ancient Ethiopian language.
They have no Talmudic laws, but their preservation of and adherence to Jewish traditions is undeniable.
They observe the Sabbath, practice circumcision, have synagogue services led by priests (kohanim) of the village, follow certain dietary laws of Judaism, observe many laws of ritual uncleanness, offer sacrifices on Nisan 14 in the Jewish religious year, and observe some of the major Jewish festivals.
According to tradition the name Beta Israel (literally, 'house of Israel' in Ge'ez) originated in the fourth century CE, when the community refused to convert to Christianity during the rule of Abreha and Atsbeha (identified with Se'azana and Ezana), the monarchs of the Kingdom of Aksum who embraced Christianity.
This name contrasts with Beta Kristiyan (literally, 'house of Christianity', meaning 'church' in Ge'ez). Originally, it did not have any negative connotations, and the community has since used Beta Israel as its official name.
Since the 1980s, it has also become the official name used in the scholarly and scientific literature to refer to the community.
The term Esra'elawi "Israelites"—which is related to the name Beta Israel—is also used by the community to refer to its members.
The name Ayhud ('Jews'), is rarely used in the community, as the Christians had used it as a derogatory term.
The community has begun to use it only since strengthening ties with other Jewish communities in the twentieth century.
The term Ibrawi "Hebrew" was used to refer to the chawa ('free man') in the community, in contrast to barya ('slave').
The term Oritawi "Torah-true" was used to refer to the community members; since the nineteenth century, it has been used in opposition to the term Falash Mura (converts).
The derogatory term Falasha, which means 'landless', 'wanderers', was given to the community in the fifteenth century by the Emperor Yeshaq I, and today its use is avoided because its meaning is offensive.
Zagwe, referring to the Agaw people of the Zagwe dynasty, among the original inhabitants of northwest Ethiopia, is considered derogatory, since it incorrectly associates the community with the largely pagan Agaw.
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Years: 1985 - 1985
August
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