In the early 1980s, thousands of Ethiopian Jews fled the civil unrest, famine and religious persecution of their native land in the hopes of being reunited in Yerusalem, their spiritual homeland, with its promises of a better life.

Wuditu and her family risk their lives to make this journey, which leads them to a refugee camp in Sudan, where they are separated. Terrified, 15-year-old Wuditu must return to Ethiopia alone. “Don’t give up, Wuditu! Be strong!” The words of her little sister come to Wuditu in a dream and give her the courage to keep going. Wuditu must find someone to give her food and shelter or she will surely die. Finally Wuditu is offered a solution: working as a servant. However, she quickly realizes that she has become a slave. With nowhere else to go, she stays—until the villagers discover that she is a falasha, a hated Jew. Only her dream of one day being reunited with her family gives her strength—until the arrival of a stranger heralds hope and a new life in Israel.

Based on real events, Wuditu’s story mirrors the experiences of thousands of Ethiopian Jews.

Judie Oron, a journalist, risked her life to save Wuditu from Ethiopia and take her to safety in Israel, where she still lives today. Judie Oron lives in Toronto, Ontario.

Judie Oron's profile page

• Commended, Amelia Bloomer Project List, ALA
• Winner, Helen and Stan Vine Canadian Jewish Book Award
• Commended, USBBY Outstanding International Books Honor List
• Commended, Sydney Taylor Notable Book for Teens
• Commended, Best Books for Kids & Teens, Canadian Children’s Book Centre
• Commended, YALSA Hidden Gems
• Commended, White Ravens Collection, International Youth Library, Munich

“The story . . . is extremely well told with a clear voice that is occasionally heartbreaking in its ability to create proximity while maintaining distance.”

Resource Links, 12/10

“An interesting account of a group that most have never heard of, let alone their plight.”

Library Media Connection, 05/11

“Teens will find [the story] compelling and understand Wuditu’s feelings, hopes and dreams that are so similar to their own. It will engage students as they grapple with issues of human rights, displaced peoples, social justice and activism.”

Professionally Speaking, 03/11

“Paints indelible images on the brain and calls attention to the reality of child slavery, while spotlighting a proud moment in Israeli history.”

Chronicle Herald (Halifax), 01/30/11

“Shows with brutal, unflinching detail the horrors of refugee life and child slavery and the shocking vulnerability of young females in the developing world.”

Booklist Online, 10/21/10

“Oron unfolds Wuditu’s harrowing story with a journalist’s eye for memorable details and unforgettable situations.”

American Jewish Libraries Newsletter, 11/10

“Amazing and harrowing. This book is suspenseful and worth reading.”

Jewish Book World, Spring/11

“This is an example of masterful storytelling . . . Readers learn a great deal about Ethiopia while they are caught up in a riveting story.”

School Library Journal, 12/10

“A compelling novel . . . left me longing to read more. Highly recommended.”

CM Reviews, 10/10

“This is an astonishing and intensely moving book about an Ethiopian Jewish girl attempting to make her way to Israel . . . What makes this especially moving is that it is based on a true story.”

Amelia Bloomer Project’s List of Recommended Books

Cry of the Giraffe

Israel is the land of Wuditu’s dreams, and those of her family. As Jews living in Ethiopia, they are feared and hated by their Christian neighbours — and they dream fervently of escaping Ethiopia to live in Israel. When Wuditu is 13, she and the family she loves make the long trek to Sudan, hoping that once there, they can be transported — in a secret and dangerous rescue — to Jerusalem. They know that it will be an arduous journey, but they trust that all will be well if they rely on God and stay together.

Staying together proves much more difficult than they thought. They face the death of one uncle, the squalor and danger of the refugee camp and further family emergencies that leave Wuditu and her siblings alone. Just when it seems that life couldn’t possibly get worse, she and many others from the camp are forced back to Ethiopia.

What follows is Wuditu’s harrowing journey and quest to survive, this time without any of the family who cherishes her. Back in Ethiopia, Wuditu is at the mercy of strangers who would torture, maim, or even kill her if they find out she is Jewish. Her only “weapons” are her fiercely strong faith in God, and her own resourcefulness, determination, cunning and intelligence. Even those inner treasures don’t save her from being molested, raped, and humiliated as a slave. All the while, her only solace is also her primary motivation to keep going: holding onto hope for a joyous reunion with her family in Jerusalem.

Complete with an author’s note that puts Wuditu’s experiences in the context of the entire ordeal shared by all Ethiopian Jews, and a glossary of Ethiopian words used throughout the book, Cry of the Giraffe is based on Wuditu’s amazing true story. It is told in clear, simple language by Judie Oron, the journalist who finally saved Wuditu and brought her back to her family. This is a heartwrenching but ultimately joyous story for mature readers, about holding hope, dignity and faith close, even in the midst of dark oppression, shocking ruthlessness, senseless hatred and infuriating prejudice.

Cry of the Giraffe

Fleeing from hatred and persecution because of their Jewish faith, 13-year-old Wuditu and her family trek on foot to Sudan, hoping to be transported to Yerusalem and a better life. Instead they are herded into a refugee camp and eventually forced back to the Ethiopian border. Judie Oron, a journalist, risks her life to help Wuditu leave Ethiopia and find safety in her spiritual homeland of Israel. This story is based on true events.