http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1077094.html Some of the Ethiopians sought comfort in Harlem, so they wouldn't be forced to deal with the perceptions that "Jews are white". But Mekonen says "it's complicated". In his documentary-in-progress, "400 Miles to freedom", he explores his personal story and identity, and through this exploration he meets a variety of diverse Jews both in Israel and in America, including Rabbi Capers Funnye, a leader of the African American Jewish community and second cousin of First Lady Michelle Obama, who shares his own historical roots and path to Judaism. He says that although Ethiopians, unlike African-Americans, weren't enslaved and detached from their history, he feels that the conversations with the community present a strong opportunity to learn about the history of slavery in the U.S.
But when Obama won the election and all our neighbors ran down the street yelling and dancing and singing - I shouted something in Hebrew as well, something like: 'The good guys won!' It was perhaps the first time that I felt I belong to this fest, and I said I'm so grateful to be here to witness this historical moment."
Bizu Rikki Mulu, one of the Ethiopian-Israeli-American community veterans, founded an organization aimed at facilitating absorption of the newcomers. She called it Chassida Shmella ("Shmella" means stork in Amharic, she took it from the song people in her village would sing while seeing the migrating birds: "Stork, stork, how is our Holy Land?"). She thinks that the stream of the newcomers will increase now that Obama is president.
Topic: Negro ETHIOPIAN 'JEWS' VERY PLEASED WITH Hussein Osama (Read 2241 times)