On Tuesday, July 3^rd, 2018, Kulanu Canada wired $1,960 to Ethiopia to support the inhabitants of Giso and Meteke synagogues, whom we met in the film, Bal Ej: The Hidden Jews of Ethiopia.

Kulanu Canada THANKS YOU!

Thank you to those of you who joined us for a screening of the film on June 21^st.

And many thanks to those of you who offered additional donations to support the hidden Ethiopian synagogues.

The money sent came entirely from your admission payments and donations and has been used to purchase emergency food supplies. Those of you who joined us at the film heard about the particularly dire situation of these isolated communities due to recent heavy rains and flooding.

YOU have made an immediate difference!

As the emergency food situation is now beginning to be addressed, we will continue to work with 3 hidden synagogues to assist them in the development of self-sustaining initiatives. For example, they are interested in purchasing chickens and sheep as a way of generating income. These are good investments in rural Ethiopia for generating income, while the raising of such livestock is not too demanding for the elderly. In the film, we saw them grinding grain with stones. Each synagogue would very much like to be able to purchase one mill, to alleviate the hardship of grinding by hand and to allow them to grind grain for others as a source of income.

Even small improvements in their financial resources will allow them to continue their Jewish practices with greater ease.

Please remember that it is never too late to donate.  Should you with to dedicate your donation to Ethiopia, please write ETHIOPIA in the CanadaHelps message box.

https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/canadian-friends-of-kulanu-inc/

For more information about the film and our screening, click https://kulanucanada.org/ethiopia/

To learn more about Kulanu Canada, please visit our website: https://kulanucanada.org/

Please join us on Thursday, June 21, 2018 for the showing of this award winning film on the hidden Jews of Ethiopia. We are fortunate to have the filmmaker Irene Orleansky to do a Q and A via Skype after the film.

Kulanu Canada is dedicated to recognizing and aiding small or emerging Jewish communities throughout the world. Our funds help them to sustain their Jewish roots and traditions. Please help us by coming out to our evening.

KulanuCanada.org

presents Irene Orleansky’s award-winning documentary:

Bal Ej – the Hidden Jews of Ethiopia.

Thursday, June 21, 2018

7 pm in the evening

Doors will open 6:30 pm        Tickets at the door    $12

Donations welcome

Refreshments served

Borochov Cultural Centre

272 Codsell Ave.

Though it has been formally announced that with the last emigration of Falash Mura, there are no more Jews left in Ethiopia, there are still a number Jews living in Addis Ababa and the North Shewa region of Ethiopia, most of whom practice pre-Talmudic form of Judaism secretly. They split from the Beta Israel who settled in Northern regions of Ethiopia since Biblical times and even had the only independent Jewish Kingdom in the world. The migration of the Beta Israel from the area of Gondar to North Shewa was gradual with its pick in the 19th century. Beta Israel began their migration from North Shewa region to Kechene village in the northern part of today’s Adddis Ababa when Emperor Menelik II decided to move his palace from Ankober to Entoto and later to Addis Abbaba. Named Bal Ej, which means craftsmen, for for their skills in crafts, the community members played an important role in building the capital of Ethiopia Addis Ababa. Bal Ej of North Shewa and Kechene were forced to convert into Christianity. For centuries they have been persecuted by their Orthodox Christian neighbors who slandered them as buda or evil-eyed and hyena-people and have been deprived of the basic rights such as ownership of land, the reason for adopting crafts such as pottery, weaving and iron smithery. The stigma and discrimination persist till nowadays. Though they appeared Christians outwardly, inwardly they never abandoned Judaism and continued practicing Judaism secretly. Only recently, the youths of the community opened a synagogue in Kechene neighborhood of Addis Ababa where they hold their services openly; the rest of the synagogues are not visited by strangers and their location and practices are kept in strict secret. Because of persecutions, out of 40, only 15 cryptic synagogues have survived till today. In spite of the fears of murder and persecutions, Beta Israel of North Shewa keep faithful to their beliefs and ancient Hebrew traditions, some of which have been completely forgotten by the rest of the Jewish world.
In her movie “Bal Ej: the Hidden Jews of Ethiopia”, Irene is lifting the curtains of hundreds of years and reveal the history, traditions and music of this remarkable community to the world.