Straddling Black and White
By Kim Salzman
Published by Amazon
Acorn Publishing 2023. 321 pp
Kindle $9.99; Paperback $17.86, Hard Cover $28.58
Reviewed by Larry Rosenfeld
Based on the author's experience with Ethiopian immigrants to Israel, Straddling Black and White recounts the story of a family's transition from a village in Ethiopia to the Promised Land.
Although it follows two generations of an Ethiopian family, the main focus of the book is 14-year-old Azmera -- an innocent girl who travels with her uncle by foot to Sudan to join her father in Israel. Leaving her pregnant mother and younger siblings behind, Azmera's remarkable trek across the desert describes how she evolves from a naive girl to a strong young woman.
The challenges that awaited her when she arrived at the absorption center in the town of Karmiel were much greater than Azmera expected. By dealing with newly obtained secrets about her parents' relationship, as well as with her father's problems in acclimating to Israel, Azmera realizes that life contains all the colors of the rainbow, not just black and white.
Salzman weaves a beautiful story which is told through the eyes of many different family members spanning the years 1969 to 1991. Despite the native Ethiopian names and the fluctuating timeline, the narrative is easy to follow and gripping from beginning to end. Straddling Black and White is a heart warming and, at times, a heart wrenching tale that is a pleasure to read. It is the only English-language historical fiction novel of its kind about Ethiopian Jewish immigration to Israel, an important chapter in the history of the State of Israel. Now more than ever, with Israel under attack for being an "apartheid" state, this story needs to be told as broadly as possible.
It is important to note that Salzman dedicated the book to the more than 4,000 Ethiopian Jews who died on the journey from Ethiopia to Israel.
About the Author
Born and raised in the United States, Kim Salzman has a rich and varied background. With a degree in psychology from Columbia University and a law degree from the University of Michigan, Salzman came well prepared for her Aliyah to Israel.
She served in the international law department of the IDF, in the United Nations Refugee Agency, and also worked for an organization that advocates for the legal rights of Ethiopian immigrants in Israel.
Salzman is a licensed Israeli tour guide and is the Israel and Overseas Director for the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, Karmiel's sister city.
Kim lives on a moshav in the Misgav region with her husband, three children and two dogs. To contact her, check out her website at www.kimsalzman.com