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July 1978, Gonda Province, Ethiopia.

In a sparse one-room home in the remote hill country, Faraday Aklam strokes his wife's cheek

as she weeps into her hands. Close by, their five-month-old baby sleeps in its bed.

My love, I'm sorry. The police are hunting me, I have to leave.

But you've done nothing wrong.

It doesn't matter.

With Jews, the secret police are always looking for reasons to hunt us.

If they catch me, I'm as good as dead.

Aklam and his wife are part of Beta Israel,

an isolated Jewish community that's lived in Ethiopia

for more than two and a half thousand years.

Throughout that time, they've often been persecuted and ostracized,

but have fiercely maintained their loyalty

to their Jewish identity and beliefs.

But now, a Marxist junta has seized power

and is increasing the oppression

with brutal rounds of arrests, harassment and disappearances.

And acclums on its blacklist.

He's a teacher and community leader,

someone who could mobilize opposition to the regime.

The secret police have already raided his home once and could return any minute.

...