The Beta Israel: Falasha in Ethiopia: From Earliest Times to the Twentieth Century

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments This book, which marks the culmination of almost a decade's research on the history of the Beta Israel, could never have been written without the support and assistance of countless individuals and institutions. While it is impossible to list all of those on four continents who have in one way or another helped me in my work, I must at least attempt to acknowledge some of the most important. Since making aliyah in 1977 I have been affiliated with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and more specifically with the departments of African History and Comparative Religion. My colleagues at the university have been unstinting in their encouragement of my work. Particular mention must be made of Professors Nehemiah Levtzion and Michel Abitbol, who were directors of the Ben Zvi Institute for the Study of Oriental Jewish Communities during the period from 1983-1989 when I headed its research project on Ethiopian Jewry. In the face of the increasing politicization of research on the Beta Israel, they continued to maintain a policy that made academic excellence and scholarly integrity the Institute's sole priorities. In a similar fashion, the Harry S. Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace under the guidance of Professors Zvi Schiffrin, Ben-Ami Shillony, and Naomi Chazan supported my work long before research on Ethiopian history and culture became fashionable and continued to encourage my interest in basic IX x ACKNOWLEDGMENTS research when more contemporary work may have earned more attention . During the 1989-90 academic year when most of this book was written, I was on sabbatical and received the generous support of a University Teacher's Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities. My family and I lived at the Center for the Study of World Religions at Harvard University and were truly made to feel completely at home. At the same time, I was also fortunate to be a visiting scholar at the African Studies Center of Boston University. The staff and scholars there provided me with a warm and stimulating environment that contributed immeasurably to my progress during the year. The Hill Monastic Manuscript Library of St. John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota, and the Frobenius Institute in Frankfurt, Germany, also kindly hosted me for short visits and generously made the resources of their libraries available to me. Edward Ullendorff, Getatchew Haile, Kay Kaufman Shelemay, James McCaan, Irene Eber, and Chaim Rosen all generously commented on portions of my manuscript. Their comments and criticisms have enabled me to correct many of the deficiencies of earlier drafts. They, of course, bear no responsibility for those that may remain in the final version. An earlier version of Chapter 6 appeared in Jewish Social Studies 49 (Winter 1987), pp. 27-42, and an earlier version of Chapter 7 was published in Paideuma 36 (1990), pp. 67-77. I wish to thank the editors of both journals for permission to include revised versions of these articles in this book. Norma Schneider assisted throughout all stages in the preparation of this book from the presentation of the original proposal to the submission of the final manuscript. For many years I had hoped to work with Norma on a book, and I trust that the experience was as rewarding for her as it has been for me. I hope less time will pass before we begin work on our next project. The eighteen months during which this book was written involved a period of great personal and political upheaval. Certainly when I began writing, I had no idea that the final pages of the manuscript would be completed in a new home with a gas mask at my side. More than once, I impatiently waited for the computer to "save" a portion of the text, so that I could heed the warnings of the air-raid sirens and enter my sealed room. That I was able to retain my focus and continue my work was ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Xl due in large part to the incredible support I received from many dear friends including Vivienne Burstein, David Satran, Mindy Milberg, Kay Shelemay, Diane Baxter, Linda Aronson, Sally Zanger, and Irit Averbuch . Although rarely the primary topic of our many conversations, this book could not have been written without the reassurance and affirmation they offered. Finally, I wish to thank my children, Booshun and Yona, and dedicate this book to them. Their patience, love, and humor...