The Lost Jews: Last of the Ethiopian Falashas

By Louis Rapoport

Book by Rapoport, Louis This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0812827201
• ISBN13: 9780812827200
• Release Date: January 1980
• Publisher: UNKNO
• Length: 252 Pages
• Weight: 1.27 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Readable and Informative About A Little Known Topic

The immediate impetus for Louis Rapoport's "The Lost Jews" was the plight of the Ethiopian Falasha tribe during the 70's. They were faced with genocidal policies of a new Marxist regime, centuries-long bigotry from the ruling Christian Amhara tribe, and what amounted to criminal negligence on the part of the Israeli government in regard to recognizing the Falashas as Jews and rescuing them. Rapoport spells this all out in the first chapter, and after this, moves beyond advocacy journalism into the realms of ancient history, folklore, Biblical and rabbinic traditions, and anthropology. This all makes very fascinating reading, as well a strong case for the Falashas legitimate, longstanding claim to being Jews. Along the way a lot of unusual information comes out about Jews as pariah metalworkers, about intercontintental migrations through the centuries, as well as the numerous non-rabbinic, Torah-based Jews in Africa and Asia. The book ends more or less where it begins, with the modern discovery of this remote tribe. Now I wonder how it all turned out, since this book was written 20 years ago.