Saving the Lost Tribe: The Rescue and Redemption of the Ethiopian Jews

by Asher Naim

For nearly three thousand years, the black Jews of Ethiopia–known as the Falashas–maintained their faith and their identity in the face of drought, famine, and tribal war. They were indeed the lost tribe, tracing their ancestry to King Solomon and the queen of Sheba. Then in May 1991, these Ethiopian Jews staged a miraculous exodus. With Ethiopia exploding around them in brutal civil war, some fourteen thousand Falashas were safely airlifted to Jerusalem by the Israeli air force over the course of twenty-five harrowing hours. Told by the Israeli ambassador who made it happen, this spellbinding book is the story of that incredible rescue–as well as an extraordinary history of the Falashas, the remarkable people whose faith never waivered, even when confronted with enormous atrocities.

Asher Naim knew practically nothing about the Falashas when he was posted to Addis Ababa by the Israeli government in the fall of 1990, but he instantly found himself swept up in their plight. As rebel forces advanced against Ethiopia’s savage dictator, Mengistu Haile Meriam (“the Butcher of Addis”), it became clear that the Falashas would be slaughtered unless they could be snatched from the violence overwhelming their country.

Naim set to work on several fronts simultaneously–negotiating with Mengistu and his deceptively charming right hand man, coordinating logistics and strategy with the Israeli military, frantically raising money through contacts in America. On May 23, Naim realized it was now or never, and word went out to the Israeli air Operation Solomon must begin at once. With twenty thousand Falashas crowding the Israeli embassy compound, the first Israeli planes landed at the Addis airport and a team of crack Israeli commandos took position with instructions to protect the operation “at any cost.” Four hours later, the first planeload of Falashas took off for Israel.

For Asher Naim the rescue of the Falashas became a kind of personal quest–a quest not only to free his fellow Jews from tyranny but also to uphold the sacredness of human life. In helping the Falashas realize their three-thousand-year-old dream of returning to Jerusalem, Naim came to a profoundly new understanding of the nature of faith, identity, and the struggle to endure. Saving the Lost Tribe is a magnificent achievement, a story of hope in the face of chaos and redemption on the brink of disaster.

Genres: Nonfiction, Judaism, History

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The central event of this book is Operation Solomon, during which 14,000+ Ethiopian Jews -- the "lost tribe" of the title -- were airlifted to Israel over the course of 48 hours in 1991. But the bulk of the book is about the nitty gritty of the diplomatic maneuvering that led up to the event. It is written by the Israeli ambassador to Ethiopia at the time, which means some things probably had to be left out, but even so the book is full of interesting twists and turns -- the massive ransom demanded by Mengistu, the way US support for the operation was implied and used as a bargaining chip, the repercussions when the press publicized the story, the collapse of Mengistu's regime just as everything was falling into place.

For a book dealing with such an inspiring and dramatic event, this book is often somewhat mundane; there's also the occasional clumsy info dump disguised as a conversation. But overall, I found this book fascinating, both for its glimpses into the backstory of a real life event and for what it revealed about diplomacy in general.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just got done reading Saving the Lost Tribe: The Rescue and Redemption of the Ethiopian Jews
by Asher Naim. I didn't have that book on any list to read. I saw it in the library and was interested in the topic of the Falashas for a long time.

While the book had perhaps some unnecessary detail, it did set the stage on just how primitive they were, and that they had trouble adjusting to the modern world. This group of Jews split from the rest of the Jewish population shortly after the Babylonian exile of 586 B.C.E. and does not have the benefit of the Talmud or Mishnah. In many cases they were illiterate. The book makes may fascinating observations about how antisemitic tropes even extend to them.

I recommend reading it.

[Marge Congress · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author was the Israeli Ambassador to Ethiopia in 1990. He does an admirable job in briefly covering the history of the Falashas and complex political dynamics of the country. The task of bringing the Falashas to Israel was extremely complicated with revolving Ethiopian leaders, graft, jealousies etc. The story is fascinating and exciting, but I was continually confused about who was who, what position they held, etc. A list of characters would have been very helpful.

[Edward Weiner · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent read on a subject I knew of but didn't know a great deal about. Well written in the form of a memoir.

[Elliot Ratzman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did the Ethiopian Jews, called Falashas or Beta Israel descend from Solomon and the Queen of Sheba? The Tribe of Dan? Remnants of lost Babylonian Jews? Whatever the case, their status in Christian Ethiopia was marginal: unable to own land, they were shunted into certain professions lacking resources, literacy and power. This book is a pleasant and page-turning introduction to their history culminating in the “Operation Solomon” airlift of over 14000 to Israel in 1991 through the eyes of the Israeli Ambassador at the time--a charming, if unreliable, narrator. Briskly, the book tours us through Ethiopia’s history, Falasha culture and customs and the fascinating behind-the-scenes politics in the waning days of the Marxist dictatorship of Menguistu. Once in Israel their pre-Talmudic form of Judaism is held suspect by the rabbis, called Kushi (niggers) by white Israelis, and their traditions fade away as the new generation looks to hip-hop culture and Israeli postmodernity for orientation.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I could give it a 3.5 I would. I loved the story , such an opportunity for tension , having to get these naive, exploited people on a plane to the promised land when the entire political system around them is collapsing and they can fall into uncaring and dangerous hands. I found it hard to keep track of the various diplomats and attaches, could have used a bit more description but I want to see the move.

[Avi · Rating 3 out of 5]

the book is good but the story is absolutely amazing