Mordechai was born in the village Der Weha in the province of Gondar. He had nine siblings and another three half-siblings from his father.

When he was eight, he learned farming, blacksmithing, and shepherding from his father. Mordechai talks about the times for ploughing and planting and about the types of seeds and vegetables. He describes the blacksmithing work and how they made the tools and other vessels. He emphasizes that only Jews worked in this profession.

He married at the age of 18. He explains the matchmaking and wedding customs of Ethiopian Jews. After their marriage, the couple lived in his parents’ house, as was customary. After the birth of their second son, they moved to their own house. Their household included sheep, cattle, and agricultural land. During the day, Mordechai worked in farming and shepherding, and in the evening as a blacksmith.

Mordechai describes the stages of building the house. It was customary for each person to build his own house, usually with help from the neighbors. A consultant or professional was rarely used. The head of the family also built the furniture, mainly from wood or mud.

Mordechai describes the relationship with the Christian neighbors. During the reign of Haile Selassie, the Jews were not allowed to own their own land. They worked Christians’ lands, which they rented in exchange for a third of the produce.

Mordechai reminisces about the customs of Ethiopian Jews regarding Jewish festivals. He talks about the festival of Passover and its preparations and prayers. He describes as the Sigd festival – a festival of yearning for the Land of Israel.

He explains, through personal experiences, about the laws of ritual impurity of a dead body, laws of burial, and the laws of purification observed by Ethiopian Jews.