Va, Vis Et Deviens (Go, See, and Become) Page #3

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Alone!

Lie down.

Take off your coat.

Pull down his pants.

Forgive me.

Run! They want to convert us!

Shame on you!

Bastards!

Don't touch my son!

Come on!

Climb! Jump!

Run! Run!

You are my son. My son!

You're Jewish.

Nobody will touch you. Nobody!

You're my son!

No to conversion!

We're Jews like you!

Humiliated by the Chief Rabbinate

who tried to convert them

by taking a drop of blood

from their penis

and dipping them in a ritual bath,

the Falashas ask

to be recognized as Jews,

true descendants of Moses.

This is not about purifying blood,

it's about purifying doubt.

It's for their welfare.

They are children

of the Queen of Sheba and Solomon.

The Queen of Sheba wasn't Jewish.

Judaism is passed on

through the mother.

Chief Rabbi Youssef

recognized our Jewish identity

Qes Amhra

Rehovot

in 1973 thanks to this letter.

The letter allowed Israel

to carry out "Operation Moses".

In Ethiopia, they said

we weren't real Jews,

not genuinely Jewish.

If we are not Jews,

then what is the point

of our sacrifices?

Why have we paid such a heavy

price in coming to Israel?

In Ethiopia, they accused us

of being Jews.

Here we're criticized

of not being Jews.

In Ethiopia

we were called "buda", witches,

and here we're treated

like "kushee",

n*ggers!

I want to remind the government

that numerous Jews

were left behind

in Ethiopia and Sudan.

Children are living alone

in Israel,

while their parents

are still in Africa.

8 Ethiopians on a hunger strike

were hospitalized and treated

in Jerusalem, then released.

Today, people from kibbutzim

joined the demonstrators

and brought them food...

"Qes Amhra - Rehovot"

Our color is indelible!

We've all been circumcised!

Do you know where Qes Amhra is?

Do you know where Qes Amhra is?

Here's a piece of paper.

Write a wish on it.

Here's a pen.

Write your wish

and don't let anybody see.

Don't say a word to a soul

and it'll come true.

Why all these wishes?

Are people unhappy in Jerusalem?

I read what Schlomo wrote:

"I want to see you again, Mommy"!

Go to your room!

- I didn't do anything! Kushee!

- Shut up!

Can I tell you a story?

Once upon a time

there was a monkey.

Happy.

He jumped from tree to tree.

He had all his family and friends.

He knew the forest by heart.

One day, by accident,

he fell into a thorn bush.

His entire body

was covered with thorns.

They hurt him a lot.

He started to take them out,

but he soon realized

it was hopeless.

There were too many,

even under his nails.

Those hurt him the most.

Should he tear out his nails

to remove them?

Hello, could you possibly give me

the address of Qes Amhra

from Rehovot?

Excuse me.

The healer Melassa? Herzel Street?

Herzel Street:
Straight ahead.

Reassure me,

can I help him remove his thorns?

Yes.

Come in.

Come in.

I saw you on TV.

You're the only one

to have spoken

of our family left behind.

I'd like to write to my mother,

but I don't write Amharic.

Can you help me?

You said your piece well.

What's your name?

- And your father?

- Isaac.

And your mother?

That's not a Jewish name.

She had to convert.

And not your father?

Where do you come from?

I don't remember.

I was too young.

Only my mother's left.

Could you help me

write her a letter?

I have to tell her

I'm alive and doing fine.

Sit down.

It'll cost you...

How much?

I'll bring you the money.

You're not going to negotiate?

Can I?

Not anymore, too late now.

"Mommy..."

"Dear Mommy, sunshine of my life...",

ingrate!

Yes, that's better.

"Dear Mommy sunshine of my life

"Israel's a beautiful country

"a nice family has adopted me

"I go to school and learn a lot..."

No periods or commas?

Just one sentence?

I don't know, you're the writer.

Very well.

What's next?

What's the address?

Camp Um Raquba,

near Gedaref, in Sudan.

And the return address?

Where should she reply?

Where do you live?

Here?

Can she reply to me here?

Very well.

I meant to call.

You meant to call?

Ask me a question to which

you know the answer's "yes".

Do I speak good French?

Did you have a good day?

Answer me, Yael.

Do you have a problem?

Are you kidding around?

What's with you?

A few years later - 1989

You've got to write another letter.

We talked yesterday.

She was less cold, much nicer.

Not now, tomorrow.

How about later?

Tomorrow!

Tell her "I love you

like Romeo loved Juliet,

- "that all my life..."

- Shut up!

If it's a dictation, you write it.

It's her birthday.

She invited us over, you too.

I'll read it:

"Dear Sarah,

ever since I left..."

Hold it, I never left.

Shut up, this works!

"Dear Sarah, ever since I left,

"I miss you.

You have no idea how much.

"I'd love you to be so proud of me.

"I'd like to wake up one morning

"and find you sitting next to me

"as if you had always been there,

"and our separation

were simply a long nightmare.

"Every evening,

I look up at the moon.

"God thinks I'm speaking to Him,

"but I'm speaking to you.

"One day we'll be together

"forever.

"I miss you. I love you,

"Itai."

Sh*t, you can write!

Where do you get all that?

Wait, what's wrong?

Are you crying? You love her, too?

- Fifteen shekels.

- I thought it was ten.

She loves you because of me.

Five shekels success bonus.

I hope you're not stealing

this money.

I work hard, Qes.

I wash the stairs of our building.

You seem sad.

It's a twinge of melancholy,

nostalgia.

What day is it?

Friday.

Friday, the day of Sabbath.

And it doesn't smell like Sabbath...

It doesn't smell like Sabbath?

Don't you remember?

You were probably too young.

Friday morning,

it already smelled like Sabbath...

the scent of Sabbath bread

that the women were baking.

The best bread of the week.

It's terrible:

In the land of the Torah,

nothing smells anymore.

It's been lost.

Alright, I'm listening.

"Mommy...

"Mommy, tell me why...

"I'm doing well...

"I'd like to...

I need to know why...

"I'm not allowed to come home..."

Here.

From now on, you write.

You need to.

Besides, my eyes are weary.

Go on, learn.

"Mommy, sunshine of my life...",

and then you write whatever you want.

You said:
"Become..."

Become what?

"And don't come back until then."

Why don't you call Mom "Mommy"?

It's always Yael.

Yeah, you won again!

What a score!

Did you see the score? Champ!

Another round?

What should I wear?

Jeans, a T-shirt! Something cool!

It's a birthday, not a wedding.

I'll make him director

of the company.

With a new title:

"HardHarrari & Son".

What do you think?

He loves you, too. You know that.

No, I'm not a boy.

You are, but you're rotten

in computers and sports.

And you challenge him.

He hates that.

How does this look?

Cool.

If you ring a third time,

I'll break your finger.

- Understand?

- But...

Go home!

- How was it?

- Great.

Me?

I'm just running down to see Itai.

Don't be long.

Have you seen the time?

- I'm Sarah.

- Who gave you my address?

Itai.

- What do you want?

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