A member of an ancient Jewish community in Ethiopia that has lived isolated from mainstream Jewish tradition for centuries.
From Amharic 'fəlāsā', possibly from Ge'ez roots. The word entered English through anthropological and historical study of Ethiopian Jewish communities.
Falasha Jews preserved medieval Hebrew practices and their own unique liturgy, cut off from the rest of Jewish history—in the 1980s-90s, Israel's 'Operation Solomon' airlifted them to Israel in a dramatic rescue.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.