Alebachehu describes his family tree, his village and the local history. He also describes the region’s weather during the different seasons of the year. He discusses the purity rituals the Beta Israel community observed, and their relations with neighbors – Christians, Muslims and members of the Qemant tribe. He recounts cases of insults and racist attitudes toward Jews.

Alebachehu was born in the period that Emperor Haile Selassie returned to power, after defeating the Italians. He talks about the history of Ethiopia and the changes the Emperor introduced to his country. Additionally, he describes how he went to see Selassie marching with his lions through the streets of the city of Gondar.  

Alebachehu’s father was a chikent – an official functionary who was responsible for lands and collecting taxes — and he owned many dunams of land. Alebachehu describes this role at length. Alebachehu also talks about another of his father’s occupations – he worked as a kind of lawyer.

Alebachehu talks at length about his relationship with his father and how he learned agricultural work from him. He details the agricultural work and what is done in each season – planting, harvest, threshing, and more. He notes that wedding ceremonies were held during the three months that the farmer would wait for his crops to grow.

Alebachehu left his parents’ house and went to work the land in area of Sarmella. There, his herd of cattle contracted the “watata” disease – an epidemic that decimated his herd and reduced it from 30 heads of cattle to only three. After recovering from this great setback, Alebachehu resumed work toiling his land, and he succeeded in deriving benefit from its produce.

Alebachehu reviews the history of Jewish schools in Ethiopia and talks about his great desire to study. His father opposed this out of fear he would assimilate and leave the family agricultural business. Eventually, Alebachehu managed to persuade his father and he went to study in the Jewish school in Ambover. He worked in agriculture during the day and studied at night.

At the age of 25, Alebachehu married. Two years later, his first son was born. At that time, a large wave of conscription was underway, and Alebachehu divorced his wife and went to Asmara to enlist. He was disqualified from conscription for medical reasons and returned to Ambover to continue his studies.

During his studies, Alebachehu began working as a guard in the Israeli health clinic in the city of Gondar. During the year he worked in the clinic, the Israeli team of doctors provided him with guidance and training in the field of medicine. After passing a test, he was accepted to work as a nurse in the clinic.

From 1968 to 1974, the communist Derg party rebelled against the regime of Emperor Haile Selassie. Alebachehu describes this period and the many changes that occurred during it. During this period, he was chosen by Mr. Zimna (who worked with the Israeli authorities) to head a delegation that would bring 24 students to Israel. The delegation left Gondar and reached Addis Ababa after many trials and tribulations. There, Alebachehu was informed that the journey had been cancelled and that he must take the members of the delegation back to their homes. Alebachehu and his friends refused to give up on their dream to reach Israel. With the help of another activist, they travelled to Sidamo in southern Ethiopia, from where they continued toward Kenya. They were stopped at the border by Ethiopian soldiers and sent for interrogation, during which they were tortured, and they were imprisoned for six months.

When the members of the delegation were released, each returned to his home. Alebachehu returned to Amboverer, where a large celebration was held. Alebachehu went back to working as a nurse in the clinic, and for nine years he provided medical services in the clinics in the villages of Teda, Gedavia and Wegera. When epidemics broke out, he would travel even further to vaccinate and treat people beyond the provinces of Belessa and Dembiya.

When the “Beta Israel” community began to immigrate to Israel via Sudan, Alebachehu worked together with the Israeli Mossad, helped the immigration mission, and eventually also immigrated from Sudan to Israel himself.