Faïtlowitz, Jacques

(1881–1955)

   Polish expert on the Falashas. Born in Poland, Faïtlowitz studied the Ethiopian and Amharic languages in Paris and lived for eighteen months among the Falashas, the community of Black Jews in Ethiopia. He was convinced that they were of Jewish descent and not just a native tribe converted centuries ago to Judaism, as others maintained. For the rest of his life, he travelled, wrote and lectured extensively on their behalf, trying to gain recognition for them from Jewish organizations, and collecting money to educate their children. Late in life, after World War II, he settled in Tel Aviv and continued his campaign but it was only after the State of Israel was established in 1948 that the Jewish Agency took a more active interest in the Falashas.