ABSTRACT
This paper endeavours to examine how, in the literate environment of Israel, the majority of non-literate Ethiopian Jewish immigrants are confronted with new paradigms of orality and literacy. The traditional means of communication and transmission of knowledge that were used in Ethiopia are redefined in the Israeli context. This gives rise to various negotiations in Israel which are played out at the level of discourse, writing and non-verbal communication, resulting in the preservation, modification and even resurgence of traditional forms.
