The sixth meeting of the second session of the Beit Midrash for the Study of Ethiopian Jewish Religious Texts at Ono Academic College opened in Ono’s executive meeting room. In the session’s introduction, Rav Dr. Sharon Shalom and Dr. Samuel Schwartz, researchers in the program discussed interventions with Beta Israel youth as they related to self-image identity. Program coordinator Asher Elias recounted a story that raised the question of how we define the origins of Bete Israel. Are they in Ethiopia or in Jerusalem?
Rabbi Reuven Yasu explored Beta Israel logic, contrasting it with Christian thought. He introduced the idea that Jews and Bete Israel in particular are “Felatian,” a Ge’ez term for meaning “dividers”. Yasu tied “division” to Jewish theology. God and in Israel are frequently engaged in “dividing”, e.g. the acts of Creation, building the Tabernacle, Kashrut, the laws of purity and impurity. Yasu extended the concept to parenting, where in his view respect necessarily precedes love. Participants debated this. Rabbi Sharon later addressed love and holiness. One participant suggested that actions cultivate emotions, as in marriage or faith. Rabbi Sharon connected this to Beta Israel’s moral-cultic balance and interdependence, referencing his book The Living Geniza. He also introduced the Book of Tobit, an apocryphal text that is part of the Beta Israel canon. He shared the book’s message of hope for the future and the practice of good deeds in the present noting that the book was beloved to his grandfather in Ethiopia, who studied it every day. He also shared a story from a collection of Bete Israel tales called, “The Man Who Went Out to Fight with God.” It describes a man rebelling against God due to his unmet needs who eventually turns to Him directly. In the discussion round, participants reflected on faith, submission, and applying these lessons daily, blending personal heritage with spiritual discovery.
