A People Tall and Smooth

A People Tall and Smooth By Judith Galblum Pex.

"At that time gifts will be brought to the Lord Almighty [to Mount Zion] from a people tall and smooth-skinned." Isaiah 18:7

Stories of escape from Sudan to Israel.

The popular beach town of Eilat, at the southernmost tip of Israel, is visited daily by international tourists who want to visit the warm waters of the Red Sea. But when hundreds of tall, dark Africans show up to stay, curiosities are piqued. Where did they come from? Why are they in Eilat of all places? When a group of them enter The Shelter hostel run by John & Judy Pex, the people and their stories gradually become known.

These are the very real stories of how and why five refugees escaped the genocide in South Sudan and Darfur, made their way through Egypt, and smuggled into Israel, the only country their Islamic government prohibited them from entering.   In desperation, they fled across the border with nothing but the clothes on their backs. No food. No money. No papers. No possessions. Just thankful to be alive.

Although much has been written about the Lost Boys of Sudan who resettled in large groups in the United States beginning in 2000, very little, if anything, has been written about the countless Sudanese who fled alone to neighboring countries such as Egypt in an effort to escape the civil war between north and south Sudan....until now.

Excerpt:

People from over one hundred nations intermingle in Israel.

In 2007, however, a new group appeared on the scene whose appearance and status were unlike any other till this time.  We began to notice men, women, children, and babies on the streets in our town of Eilat who were exceptionally black and strikingly tall.  "Where do they come from and who are they?" my husband John and I asked ourselves.  "What language do they speak?"  Having managed The Shelter Hostel in Eilat on the Red Sea since 1984, we are used to interacting with diverse people groups and were eager to meet these new arrivals.

Our questions were answered when a tall, dark man walked through our front gate one morning.  "I'm Gabriel, a refugee from Sudan,"  he introduced himself in perfect English.  We then had even more questions.

Contents: 

1. Gabriel
2. Muna Maria
3. Yien
4. Rose
5. Muna from Darfur
6. Conclusion:  I would Not Have Believed Them

Soft Cover
220 Pages