Prof. Ze’ev Falk, who passed away in 1999 , was an influential scholar in many fields. Born in W rocław in 1992, Falk immigrated to Israel in 1938 and studied Law, Jewish History, Talmud, and International Relations at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He was a man of many faces: a wise, well-educated student with broad horizons, a prolific scholar who published numerous books and essays on various subjects in Jewish Studies, and an active man, alert and conscious to current questions, finding Halachic solutions to difficult problems and participating in discussions involving Jews and Christians. Falk’s rich personality is reflected in the nature of this two-part book, which contains essays in the field of Jewish Studies and articles on current affairs. The two first essays recount Falk’s story, describing his personality, life's work, and many publications.

This book reviews the status of Ethiopian Jews through recent comprehensive research of the roots of Jewish identity. The author argues that Jewishness cannot be determined by scientific and sociological methods alone, but is a function of Halakha (Jewish Law). Consequently, whereas "historical truth" is uncertain, it is "Halakhic truth" which is definitive for Jews. These issues revolve around one crucial question: "who is a Jew?" The upsurge of Aliyah from Ethiopia peaked with "Operation Moses" in 1984-1985, and "Operation Solomon" in 1991, rescue airlifts that resonated around the globe. This immigration of 70,000 Jews, including the current return of the Falas Mura, has intensified debates on questions concerning the Law of Return.