Themes of Unity and Division in Beta Israel Identity Formation

18 The Monitor - Summer 2010
Segregation was sometimes promoted in less decidedly
xenophobic ways. As an illustration, many groups seeking the
advancement of the Beta Israel in Israeli society suggested the establishment
of “traditional Ethiopian villages” where Beta Israel sculptors would
produce and sell figurines advertised as traditional Ethiopian art. 86
The creation and vending of these figurines—an industry kindled by
American agencies—began as a way to enter into the tourism market in
Israel. 87 Initially, the statuettes featured symbols conventionally associated
with Judaism, such as the Torah scrolls and the magen David, but the
longer these sculptors have lived in Israel, the more they have begun to
incorporate more quintessentially Ethiopian motifs into their artwork. 88
In their own self-expression, the Beta Israel seem to be interested in
conveying a link to their Ethiopian heritage—a very different principle
than hoping that their skin would turn white once they reached Zion.
Historically, maintaining a connection to their unique past had
always been important to the Beta Israel. In their interaction with groups
like the American Association for Ethiopian Jews (AAEJ), many Beta Israel
repeatedly asked the relief workers if they were Jewish, and refused to accept
food from them if the answer was no. 89 Even as conditions worsened in
Addis Ababa, where the Beta Israel awaited departure to Israel, and some
hadn’t eaten for several days, they often refused to eat the food offered by
humanitarian organizations until they received sufficient proof that it was
kosher. 90 The Beta Israel in Addis regularly declined medical attention, as
well, despite the relief agencies’ best efforts to convince them of the efficacy
of Western medicine. 91 The death rate reached as high as forty Beta Israel a
month, but because their religious tenets categorized injections and pills as
compromises in their purity laws, they frequently rejected treatment from
the organizations stationed in Addis. 92
Understandably, the Beta Israel have struggled with the transplant
of their culture. They have had to adjust their religious practices to fit a
new urban landscape and new social expectations. Reactions from the
Israeli and Western Jewish populations have not eased the transition.
Instead, they have been reminded, repeatedly and often callously, that
they don’t fit in. In response, Beta Israel have often emphasized that
which makes them different from wider Jewish society; this effort,
as well, may form part of the cause for their segregation from and by