ABSTRACT
Although the Beta Israel appreciate many aspect of their new country. the much drea med-of homeland has been ultimately disappointing. The former homeland. on the other hand. is recreated with rich and positive imagery and il begins to rival the present one. But a return is not an option. Instead. the Beta Israel imagine a better place stil l: the homeland postponed. 1
Beta Israel aspirations for the future comprise three principal visions: purity. integration. and maintenance of Ethiopian identity. Clearly. these visions arc not distinct and individuals combine and recombine images from all three.
