In the early 1980s, on a remote part of the Sudanese coast, a new luxury resott opened for business. Little did the guests know that the staff members were undercover spies, working for the Mossad - the Israeli Secret Service. Written by longtime BBC Middle East correspondent, Raffi Berg, this page-turner tells the true story that inspired the recent Netflix drama The Red Sea Diving Resort. What began with one cryptic message pleading for help later turned into the secret evacuation of thousands of Ethiopian Jews, and the spiriting of them to Israel.
Join the Vilna and JCCNS for a riveting conversation between author Raffi Berg and Debbi Cenziper, investigative journalist and author of Citizen 865: The Hunt for Hitler’s Hidden Soldiers in America.
Interested in reading Raffi or Debbie's book? Please support local independent bookstore by purchasing online through Copperdog Books in Beverly MA. You can also purchase online at bookshop.com by using these links: Raffi's book and Debbie's book.
In partnership with the Jewish Community Centers of the North Shore and the Jewish Book Council
Raffi Berg is the Middle East editor of the BBC News website. A journalist for nearly 30 years, he has a particular interest in events in Israel, from where he has reported extensively in times of war and peace. He graduated in Modern and Medieval History from the London School of Economics, and was a student of Jewish and Israel studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Raffi is based in London, where he lives with his family.
Dani Limor was born and raised in Montevideo, Uruguay. He made aliya on his own at the age of 16, studying for three years at a yeshiva followed by service in the IDF as an officer in the Paratroopers Brigade. Dani participated in four wars between 1967 and 1982, rising to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel (res). In 1968 he was recruited to the Mossad, where he served in various capacities for 25 years. Among his many tasks, he commanded Operation Brothers which spirited Ethiopian Jews out of Sudan and onward to Israel. After retirement, Dani still conducted projects for the agency. Currently, he is mapping emerging Jewish communities around the world in places like Africa, Asia and Latin America for the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs. Alongside his official work, Dani is also a founding member and Chairman of the Board of the Nachshon School for Social Leadership. He holds a degree in Political Science and International Relations from Bar Ilan University and is fluent in English, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Hebrew, Yiddish and Arabic.
Debbie Cenziper is an investigative journalist, professor, and author based in Washington, D.C. A contributing reporter for the investigative team at The Washington Post, she has won many major awards in print journalism, including the 2007 Pulitzer Prize. Cenziper is the co-author of the critically acclaimed Love Wins: The Lovers and Lawyers Who Fought the Landmark Case for Marriage Equality. She was recently named the director of investigative journalism at the Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism.