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Gondar: Africa's Camelot by Jerry W. Bird As our minibus rolled into Gondar, after a short flight from Lalibela, there was ample evidence that here was an area destined for long range development as a destination resort. Several new industries attest to this growing trend, as did our conversation with entrepreneurs at the airport and later at the hotel. Our modern, government operated hotel, the Goha was perched like a sentinel on a hilltop, with a commanding view of the city and countryside. Gondar was Ethiopia's capital and principal city during the reign of Emperor Fasilidas in the 17th century. Perhaps that's why I expected to find it a shrine to past glories, instead of an active, bustling community, with people filling the streets, shops doing a brisk business, and scores of gaudily painted horse and buggy taxis (garis) scooting every which way, like bumper cars at a midway. Several of our group decided to try this hair raising means of transport, and it became a highlight of their day, trotting through the narrow alleys of this centuries old capital. Thanks to a massive government initiative, many of the castles, palaces and royal structures built by the early Emperors are being carefully restored. These treasures of Gondar include the stone bathhouse of Emperor Fasiladas and the ruined Palace of Kusquam. We also entered the church of Debre Brhan Selassie, to gaze in awe at its unique murals, which have stood the test of time for centuries. These castles display a richness in architecture that reveals the influence of Arabia as well as Axumite traditions, and are said to be the largest concentration of such structures in Africa. Felasha Village near Gondar by Karen B. Hoffman 7:30 AM: They stream in by the hundreds; Ethiopian men, women and children, from their homes in Addis Ababa and the surrounding villages. Members of Beta Israel (House of Israel) gather in the Jewish compound in Addis Ababa for morning prayers, continuing the ancient Judaic traditions of their ancestors. As they face the Ark of the Torah, the men and women are separated by a rope used as the traditional "mehitza" (divider). As is the custom, the men wear Kipot (Jewish skull caps) and Tallitim (Jewish prayer shawls) which are strikingly similar to the Ethiopian "Shama," (a traditional shawl used for church and other occasions). These Ethiopian Jews, also known as "Felashas" (strangers), are the remaining members of the Beta Israel Community. For millennia, Judaism was the dominant religion of northwest Ethiopia. When Christianity made its way to this part of the world, the two religions intermingled as nowhere else in the world, resulting in remarkably similar practices. The 1980's saw a mass immigration of the Beta Israel Community to Israel. Today, an estimated 7,000 remain in Gondar and 19,000 in Addis Ababa. At the Beta Israel compound in Addis, almost 5,000 children attend school where they are taught the official Ethiopian curriculum in Amharic and learn English, in addition to Hebrew and Jewish studies. In order to provide employment for the adults, the North American Conference on Ethiopian Jewry created a special embroidery program.Over 750 men and women are employed in this project. The embroideries use rich and vibrant colors with designs that combine traditional Ethiopian art with Jewish themes. Moses in the Bulrushes, Queen of Sheba and King Solomon and Moses crossing the Red Sea, are just a few of the Biblical scenes depicted in these colorful handicrafts. These embroideries are sewn into pillowcase covers, Passover Matza covers and Sabbath Challah covers, which are mostly sold in the US. The remaining Beta Israel are waiting to join their relatives in Israel, hoping to follow in the "footsteps of the Queen of Sheba." (continued) Lalibela, Bahir Dar, Lake Tana and the Blue Nile Falls. Watch for a Focus on Ethiopia Trade and Tourism in the October 2004 edition of Africa Travel Magazine.