Deaf Ethopian-Jew Dancer, 1997

BETH ISRAEL: Tribe of Israel

I AM DEAF. I AM WOMAN.
MY HANDS SPEAK FOR ME.
MY EYES HEAR FOR ME.
I AM WOMAN AND I AM DEAF.
I HEAR THE WORDS
"FALASHA"
OUTSIDER
"FALASHA"
STRANGER.
 
I AM DAUGHTER OF QUEEN OF SHEBA.
I AM HOUSE OF ISRAEL.
 
I AM NOT FALASHA.
I AM NOT OUTSIDER.
I AM NOT STRANGER.
 
I AM DAUGHTER OF QUEEN OF SHEBA.
 
MY MOTHER IS ETHIOPIA.
MY HOUSE IS ISRAEL.
MY TRIBE IS DAN.
 
I AM 2,700 YEARS OLD.
MY TORAH IS WRITTEN IN GE'EZ.
I AM ISRAELITE
FROM THE 10TH CENTURY BCE.
 
I AM JEW.
I AM AFRICAN.
I AM BETH ISRAEL.
 
I AM DEAF AND I AM THE DAUGHTER OF QUEEN OF SHEBA.

poem by Helene E.R. Oppenheimer, Dec. 1997