Audience: Middle School/High School students 

Materials: A large screen and a sound system, slideshow, comic strip template

OBJECTIVES: 

  • Students will familiarize themselves with the Beta Israel community. 
  • Students will summarize Beta Israel’s perspective on humanity. 
  • Students will evaluate their own perspective in comparison to that of Beta Israel’s. 
  • Students will respond to scenarios based on Beta Israel’s perspective.

Lesson Instructions: 

Hook: Students will discuss ethics in a whole class discussion or in smaller discussion groups. Use the following discussion questions: 

  • Who should we help in the world? 
  • Who deserves the benefit of the doubt? 
  • Are people inherently good? 
  • Does belief help us avoid challenges? 
  • Who should we trust in the world? 
  • Is everyone deserving of respect? 


Video: Show this video as an introduction to the Beta Israel community. The following questions can help guide a class discussion after watching the video. Emphasize that while this is Aviva’s own personal journey, it is representative of the journey that the Beta Israel community went on in general.


Questions:

  • Which community is Aviva a part of? 
  • Where does the Beta Israel community come from? 
  • Why did they come to Israel? 
  • What were some sacrifices they made to come to Israel? 
  • What was their journey to Israel like?  
  • Who brought them to Israel and how? 

History:  Explain that the Aliyot to Israel were the conclusion of a chapter of the Beta Israel’s history – their history in Ethiopia. The history of the Beta Israel in Ethiopia was not a simple history. Read the following excerpts (or have students read) to give insight into the difficulties in Ethiopia: 

Text 1: Rabbi Dr. Sharon Shalom, From Sinai to Ethiopia p. 63 

[The period between] 1270–1632 [was one of] …anti-Semitic persecution. Heavy pressure [was] placed on “those behaving like Jews” for them to convert or be killed. In response, the Jews adopt ascetic practices of their neighbors. In addition, the rights of Jewish landowners are annulled. The Jews who are expelled from their lands are forced to change their trades, and they become builders, ironworkers, carpenters, and weavers. Following the expulsion, they are given the derogatory name Falasha, meaning “intruders” or “foreigners.” 
 

Text 2: My Family The Beta Israel (p.64) 

[Between 1632-1769] the political center of the kingdom begins to migrate to the Gondar region. The Jews who were expelled from their lands are forced to participate in the construction of fortifications and churches in the new capital of Gondar. In recognition of the women of Beta Israel, who are known for their talents in preparing dyes and decorative items, the Jews are again granted land, and their general status improves. 

What this means is that the very skills that the Beta Israel developed when their land was taken from them became a way for them to serve other (non-Jewish) Ethiopians which eventually led to them again being granted land. 

Then, inform the students that: 

[Between 1755-1855], after the murder of Emperor Iyo’as in 1769, an extended period of unstable rule begins, and the power of local military leaders grows. Beta Israel loses all the economic, social, and religious advantages they had achieved during the Gondar period. This period is a difficult one in the religious life of Beta Israel, and according to tradition, they are unable to practice religious rituals for forty years’22. During the period [between 1888-1892] called Kifu Qen (the Terrible Days), about half of Beta Israel perished in a severe famine. 

Discussion: Ask students to think about the following questions: 

  • Following these challenges, how might the Beta Israel feel about religion? 
  • Following these challenges, how might the Beta Israel feel about their community? 
  • Following these challenges, how might the Beta Israel feel about the outsider? 

Emphasize that in all three of these areas, the Beta Israel remained committed. They remained committed to their traditions and practices of Judaism. They remained a tight-knit community, and they remained positive about the outsiders. Commitment to one’s values even in the face of difficulty is something that we can all learn from the Beta Israel community. 

Ask a student to read the following text: 

Text 3 (My Family the Beta Israel, p.84): 

If one reflected on the history and experiences of the Beta Israel, which included persecution and famine, one might imagine that a certain level of distrust and cynicism may have developed among members of the Beta Israel. Yet this is most certainly not the case. Instead, rather than the attitude – prevalent in other faiths and other Jewish communities– that humanity is untrustworthy and unreliable, and that it is appropriate to maintain a level of suspicion towards other human beings given the high likelihood that they will act improperly, members of the Beta Israel are of the view that 

is that while people sin, they are broadly good, trustworthy, and reliable. As Rabbi Dr. Sharon Shalom explains: ‘I have a tradition from my grandfather…that at the foundation of the theological conception of the Beta Israel is the idea that “a person’s heart is good by its nature.”’ This is because, ‘the sages of the community believe that it is not possible that person’s nature is evil at its core, for humanity was created in the image of God, and God is good. How could a wholly good God create a man who is evil at his core?’ 

Reflect:

Ask the students to consider the main idea of this text. Emphasize that Beta Israel maintained the attitude that human beings are trustworthy and reliable throughout their challenges. You may choose to connect this to other elements of Jewish tradition – such as the concept of Tzelem Elokim (that people should be treated well because they were created in the image of God).  

בראשית א:כז 

 וַיִּבְרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶת-הָאָדָם בְּצַלְמוֹ בְּצֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים בָּרָא אֹתוֹ 

Another concept that can be connected to this idea is the concept of “Dan L’Kaf Zechut.”  

אבות א:ו 

יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן פְּרַחְיָה אוֹמֵר… וֶהֱוֵי דָן אֶת כָּל הָאָדָם לְכַף זְכוּת 

Mishna Avot 1:6 states that Rabbi Yehuda ben Perachya says “You should judge everyone favorably.” According to Mishna commentator, Rabbi Ovadia Bartenura (Italy, 15th century), this applies to cases where there is no clear way to determine if a person is good or wicked and not to cases where the person is obviously wicked.  

The teacher should ask students to compare this interpretation of Rabbi Yehuda ben Perachya to the approach of Rabbi Sharon Shalom’s grandfather.

Scenario Activity: 

Students explore how this perspective would impact situations in real life. 

  • A police officer encounters two people who appear to be doing something wrong. 
  • A teacher encounters a student who appears to be cheating on a test. 
  • A student on the soccer field is elbowed by another player. 
  • A student at the mall sees a group of friends but isn’t invited to join them. 

Have your students create skits acting out these scenarios and craft responses based on the perspective of Beta Israel. Alternatively, you may want to have your students write and illustrate the scenarios as comics. Students can draw their own blank comic strip template using a ruler, or you can find a blank comic strip template online to print and distribute to your class. 

 

 

This lesson plan is based on content from the book, “My Family The Beta Israel: A 10-Unit Curriculum for Ethiopian-Jewish Heritage for High School Teachers and Students,” published by Ono Academic College and the International Center for Ethiopian Jewry.