November 2023 Edition

Culture & News

Ethiopian Jews

The land of Ethiopia has diverse religious beliefs that include Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and indigenous spirituality practices. There are references to the Ethiopians in biblical history, such as the highway encounter between Philip the evangelist and an Ethiopian eunuch-treasurer in service to the Queen (Candace) of Ethiopia. This meeting led to the treasurer’s baptism by Philip (Acts 8:26-40 KJV).

The origin of Ethiopian Jews is based on two main points of view 1.) they are the lost Hebrew tribe of Dan or 2.) they are the descendants of King Solomon of ancient Israel and the Queen of Sheba. Most Ethiopians claim this queen as their own and through her son Menelik, believed to be fathered by Solomon, established a legendary dynastic rule. There is also the possibility of Jerusalem Jews being apart of the queen’s returnee royal entourage. Ethiopian texts refer to her name as “Makeda.” The Bible speaks of her: “And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to prove him with hard questions” (1 Kings 10:1 KJV). This queen and the land she ruled was the biblical inspiration for my own name.

Ethiopia is not alone in its claim to the Queen of Sheba. There is some geo-historical rivalry with Yemen who also claim this queen. However, it is quite possible her ancient kingdom included both present day Ethiopia and Yemen. We must remember, the population migrations of these ancient nations involved trade partnerships, conquest, and inter-marriage (especially arranged political marriages between historic nations), in a region of the world composed of various people of color groups. These population migrations occurred among the ancient world, just as it occurs today. For example, France and Germany are on the same continent of Europe, but they are recognized as different nations. The continent of Africa had several different nations in antiquity and currently, has 54 nations on the continent today.

During the 1980s civil war and famine swept through Ethiopia. Many Ethiopian Jews fled to Sudanese refugee camps to escape persecution and hunger. From there they were secretly air-lifted out of Sudan by the first of three Israeli government evacuation programs dedicated to their plight called Operation Moses (1984). They were transported to Israel to begin their new lives. Now, over thirty years later the Ethiopian-Israeli community has made some positive social-political gains, but cries of racism in the Holy Land have also been evident.

Penina Tamanu-Shata is a former journalist, attorney, and the first Ethiopian-Israeli woman to be elected to the Knesset Parliament. At the age of three she was transported to Israel by Operation Moses. She has an impressive resume and is working to combat discrimination and racism in Israel through various political avenues. See the I-24 news video of her posted below.

💖For Additional Reading (3)

1.) PRI The World: Queen of Sheba’s gold found by archaeologists (2012)

https://www.pri.org/stories/2012-02-13/queen-shebas-gold-found-archaeologists

2.) Washington Post: In Israel, police shooting of an Ethiopian Jew prompts a Black Lives Matter moment in Israel (2019)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/police-shooting-of-an-ethiopian-jew-prompts-a-black-lives-matter-moment-in-israel/2019/07/11/93acbd94-a258-11e9-a767-d7ab84aef3e9_story.html

3.) The Times of Israel: Likud MK calls Ethiopian lawmaker a “token immigrant” (2018)

https://www.timesofisrael.com/firebrand-likud-mk-calls-ethiopian-lawmaker-a-pet-immigrant/

*Notice: This updated article “Ethiopian Jews” was first published in the September 2019 Edition. To view the full edition click here. The article was reposted in the October 2022 Edition. To view the full edition click here.

“We believe to be a Jew is not by body. To be a Jew is by soul. So, you can sometime in all the generations, to change your body here and there.
But the soul remain, after all, a Jewish soul.” -Rabbi Eliyahu Avichail,
From the documentary: Quest for the Lost Tribes (1998) Directed by Simcha Jacobovici

Art/Film/Literature News

Killers of the Flower Moon

The Osage Nation of Oklahoma are wealthy due to oil found on their land. The movie: Killers of the Flower Moon (running time 3 hours 26 minutes, rated R, 2023) set in the 1920s, features Native American Indians, who have amassed fortunes greater than many White people in the same town. Racism rears its ugly head against them, in the form of jealousy, greed, and murder. Some White families are not opposed to intermarriage with the Osage, because it provides the opportunity to inherit their wealth. However, they haven’t lost their racist ideology and consider children of such unions “savage.” They harbor secret disgust about the children’s biracial phenotypes. But for these White families, the ends justify the means.

I believe this is an important true story that needs to be shared and receive the necessary attention. Although the acting was good, the movie itself fell a bit below my expectations. The romantic chemistry between the lead characters, Ernest and Mollie, was lukewarm and the movie was quite slow. I understood Ernest’s reason for the courtship and marriage, but not Mollie’s motivation. The brief superficial hints given for her decision, seem mismatched with her character’s depth and wisdom. There were scenes between the two characters in which Mollie appears to know much more than she says, but her side of this romantic union is not fully explored. That was a movie mistake. This made the relationship come across as cool, rushed, and one-sided.

Mollie’s real reason to marry Ernest takes shape as a cliffhanger in the background. Because she was a woman of means (even with the restrictions) who probably had other available suitors and without any further explanation, her choice seems not quite believable. She had options during a time period of pervasive subjugation of women and racism against her people. She didn’t have to marry Ernest. So, why? It was a disservice not to give Mollie’s premarital personal story more space in the movie. The opposite is true of the Ernest character.

I did enjoy the cultural elements such as, the closeness with nature and the speaking of the Osage ancestral language. Anna, the spitfire older sister, left a memorable impression. The racism portrayed was realistic in its form and execution. It was insightful to use forked-tongue individuals, who quote biblical scripture in one breath and then praise the works of the darkness in the next. Reminds me of an ole saying: “Even the devil can quote scripture.” Overall, I am glad to have watched this movie.

Business/Non-Profit/Inspirational News

The Math Professor

Dr. John Urschel is a mathematics professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge. He is a former NFL player for the Baltimore Ravens who balanced playing football while pursuing a PhD. According to Black News.com: “Moreover, Urschel reportedly aspires to increase diversity in the field of mathematics, where only seven percent of professors are Black. His goal is to inspire young Black students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.” I plan to read his book: Mind and Matter: A Life in Math and Football (2019, 252 pages) to hear more of his inspirational story.

Black News.com: Former NFL Player For Baltimore Ravens is Now a Math Professor at MIT (October 2023)

Former NFL Player For Baltimore Ravens is Now a Math Professor at MIT

Book Review

French Cooking

French Cooking For Beginners: 75+ Classic Recipes to Cook Like a Parisian by François de Mélogue (2020, 225 pages, kindle edition) is a lovely cookbook that has easy to follow instructions and displays the author’s down to earth writing. There are some photos, but not for each recipe. Easily forgiven, because the author gives so many useful cooking tips and historical tidbits. This book is sure to inspire your own inner French home chef!

Book Quotes:

“Quiche originated in the Lorraine region of northeast France on the border of Germany and Belgium.”

“I grew up in Chicago, living life on the fence between two cultures: French and American.”

“Soups and stews are perfect marriages; they are the union of many different flavors that need time to develop and grow together as one.”

News Video (8)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nq3EVT_QKvs