The Falashas are a tribe cut off from the mainstream of Judaism for more than a millennium. The group, which numbered in the tens of thousands, lived in some of the poorest and most distant parts of Northern Ethiopia. Isolated, they maintained practices dropped by mainstream Jews centuries ago—including ritual animal sacrifice.

In the mid-'80s, the Falashas suffered terribly from poverty, hunger, and abuse by Christian neighbors. In 1984, Israel cut a deal with the communist dictatorship to bring the Falashas to Israel. More than 10,000 were airlifted out, but when the story broke in the press, the Ethiopian government stopped the exodus. Another airlift in the early '90s carried most of the rest to Israel. Smaller operations in the '90s picked up the stragglers. They've encountered plenty of racism in Israel, but many have prospered, especially in army service.

The Falashas and the cosmopolitan Adenite Jews of Addis Ababa had almost no contact, according to Eli. A few Falashas who were waiting for evacuation in Addis visited the synagogue, but otherwise the groups didn't mix.

The Falashas have all left, making the Adenites the last Jews of Ethiopia. But Israel is still puzzling what to do about the Falasha muras remaining in Addis Ababa, many of whom want to move to Israel. The Falasha muras are Falashas who were converted to Christianity, often generations ago. Some claim they had converted under duress, and that they remained Jewish. Others are close relatives of Falashas now in Israel. Still others say they were converted so recently that they still count as Jewish. Depending on who is counting, there are as few as 10,000 and as many as 25,000 Falasha muras. They live in squalid shantytowns outside Addis and the northern city of Gondar, unsure of their future.

For 10 years, Israel has been debating whether to accept them; for the moment, the country is accepting a small but steady stream of them. Last week, Israel's interior minister proposed taking them all.