Yerusalem: The Incredible Story of Ethiopian Jewry

Israel   2021

Director: Levi Zini

Hebrew with English subtitles

90 minutes

Documentary

The documentary Yerusalem unfurls the dramatic story of a long and tumultuous journey as the Jewish Ethiopian community, also known as “Beta-Israel”, finally find their way back to Jerusalem, the heart of the Jewish people. This is the story of an isolated Jewish tribe that kept its faith and ancient traditions alive for thousands of years, driven by a powerful religious yearning for “Yerusalem” that was passed down from father to son for countless generations. And this is also an inspiring story of heroic acts and bold rescue missions. From their historic roots in Ethiopia, to the daring and dangerous clandestine operations that brought them to Israel, as well as their subsequent struggles to prove their Jewishness and fight for their legitimate place in Israeli society, the complex saga of Israel’s Ethiopian Jewish community is brought to life in this compelling documentary through a mix of archival footage and interviews with first and second generation immigrants, Aliyah activists, Mossad personnel, naval commanders and Israeli air force pilots, decision-makers and many others who worked to bring Ethiopian Jews back to their ancestral homeland.