Jews as Agents of Colonization Italian Jewry, Carlo Alberto Viterbo and the Ethiopian Jews

During the years 1936-1937, Carlo Alberto Viterbo embarked on an expedition within Ethiopia, serving as a representative of the Italian Jewish community and securing the endorsement of Fascist authorities for the purpose of evaluating the circumstances of Jews within the colonies and conducting a comprehensive study on the indigenous Ethiopian Jews, then known as «Falashas». Viterbo spent part of his expedition to a specialized examination of the Ethiopian Jewish populace, employing an approach characterized by a fluctuation between benevolence and imperialism. Through the utilization of archival source materials, this research aspires to shed light on overlooked facets concerning the interplay between colonialism and Jewish participation during the period of the Fascist conquest of Ethiopia.