Scienceיעקב פייטלוביץ'

Jacques Faitlovitch

Jacques Faitlovitch was a Jewish orientalist and activist who worked to support the Beta Israel community of Ethiopia and connect it with the wider Jewish world.

1881 to 1955Advocacy for the Beta Israel11 journeys to EthiopiaJewish schools for Ethiopian JewsThe Faitlovitch collection

Born: 11 February 1881, Łódź
Died: 15 October 1955, Tel Aviv
Occupation: anthropologist, linguist, orientalist
Education: University of Paris

Jacques Faitlovitch was born in 1881 in Łódź

Faitlovitch was born in Łódź in 1881, the son of Moshe Faitlovitch and Rosalie Nussel. At 18 he served briefly in the Polish military.

He studied in Berlin and then in Paris, where he learned Oriental languages under Joseph Halévy. Halévy's research on the Beta Israel shaped his life's work. He later earned a doctorate at the University of Lausanne.

Between 1904 and 1946 he made 11 journeys to Ethiopia. He studied the religious customs of the Beta Israel, founded schools and raised funds, and brought young community members to Europe for Jewish education. He also set up Pro-Falasha committees in Italy and Germany.

He lectured at the University of Geneva and settled in Tel Aviv in 1927, while still traveling to raise support. After 1948 he persuaded the Jewish Agency to fund education for the Beta Israel.

He married Miriam Davidov in 1937. He died in Tel Aviv in 1955, and his library later went to Tel Aviv University.