Ethiopian Jews explore their history in Africa

David Mihret of the Steering Center's written about how black Jews in today's Israeli society are learning of their roots and history back in Ethiopia. He also notes how:

The absorption of Ethiopian immigrants in Israel has been fraught with family crises and economic hardship, which have only strengthened these opinions.

The community’s Jewish identity has also been harmed as a result of the doubt cast on the validity of its Jewishness by the Israeli rabbinate, which required Ethiopian immigrants to undergo conversion so as to remove any doubt.

More specifically, the rabbinate that came to be dominated by Haredi Chelmites who wouldn't recognize their ancestry and made things harder than need be for the immigrants when they sought education at some yeshivas. Now, with the Haredis moved to the opposition, let's hope that there'll be some improvement afoot.