These Jews closely follow the Torah. including the celebration of the Sabbath and dietary laws. In recent times the Falashas have continued to face persecution at the hands of their government. despite their location in isolated villages. During the 44year reign of Emperor Haile Selassie. the Jews were permitted limited religious freedoms. yet faced ongoing harassment by government officials. which included efforts to force the Falashas to convert and denying them permission to emigrate to Israel. Following the 1974 Marxist revolution. the Falashas situation was again in jeopardy. Although the Jews have not been singled out for persecution by their government. the governments antireligious policies have led to the closing of many synagogues. and the Falashas are still denied the right to emigrate to Israel. Today it is estimated that 20.000 Falashas live in Ethiopia. The drought in that region of Africa has led to a lifethreatening famine.
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emigrate