Jewish Scene
Knesset recognizes Ethiopian Sigd as official holiday
Amnon Meranda
Published: 30.01.08, 17:46
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1. Ethiopia
Yishai ,   denver usa   (01.30.08)
That is wonderful. We could learn a lot from the Ethiopians.
2. I Served With A Beta Israeli
Haim ,   NY   (01.30.08)
And lived near a few...in Holon. I don't care what others say - my impression of Beta Israelim are that they are an honest, radiant people with a positive outlook on life, and who truly, TRULY love Israel - and not only because it is better off than Ethiopia. I love my Ethiopian Brothers & Sisters.
3. wow, sounds interesting.
idan ,   haifa,israel   (01.30.08)
4. Wonderful news - Mazal Tov & (belated) Hag Same'ach!
Global Citizen ,   Israel & USA   (01.30.08)
5. Sigd? What kind of a pagan holiday is this?
Avraham ,   NYC   (01.30.08)
6. Makes my eyes water
Ypip ,   Canada   (01.30.08)
7. to #5
David ,   Herzliya   (01.31.08)
genetically, ethiopian Jewry are closer to King David than you!
8. Finally! A holiday in Mar Cheshvan!
Joe ,   Los Angeles, CA   (01.31.08)
9. #5 uneducated idiot
Yoav   (01.31.08)
For your info Avraham, Sigd is the Ge'ez word for "prostration". Ge'ez is an ancient semitic language of ethiopia and the classical language of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and the Jewish Beta Israel. I simply fail to see how you reached the conclusion that Sigd is a Pagan festival. Idiot. What other ignorant prejudices do have up your sleeve? yallah spit it out habibi.
10. A FESTIVAL OF JEWISH REVIVAL.
ROLAND SEENER ,   LONDON ENGLAND   (01.31.08)
IF ETHIOPIAN JEWS CAN OBSERVE THIS FESTIVAL FROM FORMER TIMES,CANNOT JEWS WHO ARE UNKOWLEDGEABLE IN MANY WAYS IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD ALSO CELEBRATE IN LIKE MANNER.?DO OTHERS HAVE THE DESIRE TO CLING TO THE LAND OF OUR FOREFATHERS LIKE THEY HAVE DONE AND FINALLY IF ONE CAN'T MAKE IT TO ISRAEL,GO TO "SHULL", AND CELEBRATE THIS FESTIVAL WITH THEM.
11. NOT A SINGLE ETHIOPIAN IS JEW!! ALL ARE CHRISTIANS!
Tom ,   San Francisco   (01.31.08)
The summum of the irony! Not a single Ethiopian is Jew; all of them are economic immigrant who invented completely false Jewish roots only to immigrate to Israel only for economic reasons. Now this Sigd s--t! What next? Go back to Ethiopia, that is where the Ethiopian people are!! The Gush Katif Jews are homeless and these Ethiopians have homes! Hard to believe!
12. Avraham ! Why Yoav called you idiot ?
...   (01.31.08)
you dont look idiot to me. you are an okey guy. you are cool, man. atilla karagözoğlu :)
13. Mazel Tov!
Zvi   (01.31.08)
I'm very happy to read this story. To #5 and other bigots, read about the Sigd on Wikipedia. E.g.: http://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%A1%D7%99%D7%92%D7%93
14. To Yoav
Avraham ,   NYC   (01.31.08)
Out of over 100,000 Ethiopians living in Israel that came to the Jewish State based on the Law of the Return, according to the rabbinical authorities that I hold by, only several thousand are bona fide Jews having undergone conversion (as their origins are in doubt), and the majority of the so-called Ethiopian Jews not having undergone the conversion are not considered part of the Jewish people. The Sigd holiday has nothintg to do with halacha, with our holidays as prescribed by Torah or the rabbis. Your silly comments, Yoav, and crying "prejudice" have absolutely no basis underneath them. I suggest you take a "chill out" pill, dude.
15. #5 & #11, You're ignorant.
Rich ,   Toronto, Canada   (01.31.08)
The Sigd is a wonderful holiday, and takes place at the Kotel. It is about Jews returning to Zion and renewing our covenant with G-d. I suggest you take a trip to Israel and check it out before you run off at the mouth.
16. How about celebrating "Thanksgiving" for
jason white ,   afula,israel   (01.31.08)
us American Israelis? We gave up a hell of a lot more than the ethiopians. We contributed to the birth of the state and continue to work for its' future. Not only that,besides the U.S. has any other country helped us? Not even ethiopia! What about the Mimouna? The north African Jews contributed more to Israel and gave up a lot to come here? How about letting the ethiopians become part of the people of Israel and not a separate group with their own holidays?
17. To # 5 And 11
charles ,   petach tikva   (01.31.08)
Do you think that you know it better than Chief Rabbi Amar who just now told the Knesseth : Bring all the Falas Shmura Home .
18. The obvious question
Obvious ,   USA   (01.31.08)
I don't know why everyone's missed the obvious: What's the purpose of this Sigd Holiday? Celebrating the reception of Torah? Last I checked, it's called Shavuot.
19. Wow...bring up Ethiopians as Jew....
Yishai ,   Denver USA   (01.31.08)
and people really get upset. If some one were to bring up Jews in Russia, Belarus, Latvia and these other European countries and we are supposed to accept that? Please... you people who fight against the Ethiopians and others who do not look like you in the physical needs to stop. Oh yeah, before I forget, what about the Kafaing Jews out of China? I bet most of the European Jews would find them exotic. that's my two schekls
20. #5 & 14: From the ridiculous to the absurd
Klal Yisrael ,   US   (01.31.08)
Using your narrow mindedness - Israel should not have Hebrew as its official language- because halacha is mixed on this. Women should sit at the back of buses, because there is some halacha in favor of this.Ethiopians are not really Jews because Ashkenazi codes don't know they exist. If we used your measures, the Jewish people would cease to exist. Grown up and realize the Jewish world is more mixed and diverse than you can tolerate and Jews from everywhere do things differently. Israel is a state for all Jews, not your narrow-minded conceptions of what halacha may or may not permit. Am Yisrael Chai, not your Halacha of Israel chai. Thank G-d that Israel is a state for real Jews, and not functioning under your narrow constitional defintions. By the way, is klal Yisrael part of your halacha?
21. To # 18 , wrong anonymous obvious
charles ,   petach tikva   (01.31.08)
You are only partly right . Look at the URL given by tb # 13 , you will see that celebration of receiving the Torah is only one of the five purposes . But you will probably not understand it , it's in Hebrew
22. Jason White ,
charles ,   petach tikva   (01.31.08)
is thanksgiving day related to Judaism for you ? look at wikipedia , you will see that it was originally a christian day . And why not the 14th July ? French independance ? or the 11th nov , end of WW I ? Or , or ... We have already a separate feast , the Mimouna , and are the Moroccan Jews a separate group ?
23. #18, You are missing the point
Rich ,   Toronto, Canada   (01.31.08)
Sigd is celebrating the return of Jews to Zion (Aliyah) and renewing our covenant with G-d in Israel. This is a celebration for all Jews returning to Eretz Yisrael.
24. I know you're reading my comments
TO ALL Ynetnews   (01.31.08)
Why is Ynet accepting racist and very bad posts from people like Avraham, TOM sanfransisco and others? They shouln't be allowed to be posted! very annoying
25. To 11
Ashenafi ,   Pittsburgh   (01.31.08)
Yeah, it eats you up doesn't it? Tommy, you're not a Jew and can't stand for Israel, ex Gush Katifians don't like you as well. By the way, there were jews of ethiopian origin driven out of Gush Katif. Did you know that Mr. Know it all?
26. Ashkenazi intolerance towards other Jews conitunes...
Chaim   (02.01.08)
Seems that some Ashkenazi Jews continue to cling to the idea that only their Europeanized brand of Judaism is the real thing.
27. Eithiopian Jews
Yerach ,   Jerusalem,Israel   (02.01.08)
Whatever you think of the Eithipoian Jews they have far better claim to being Jewish than the smega infested uncirmcised pork eating Russians. At least the Ethiopians are circumcised,keep taharat hamishpicha,kashrut & unlike the hundreds of thousands of Russian pseudo-Jews do not have Xmas trees in their homes & do not eat pig!!!! Also we do not see Eithiopians wearing swastikas,burning synagogues,destroying sukot,burning mezuzot & beating up Jews ulike the so called "Jews" from Russia with their swastika tattoos. The Eithiopians identify with Klal Yisrael the Russians do not & are only here to milk us for the benefits. Having said that there are bonafide Jews from Russia who are just as Jewish as the rest of us & they do deserve our love & respect & we should welcome them with open arms just as those Jews from Eithiopa or anywhere who are born of a Jewish mother or converted according to halacha!!!!
28. Ethiopians - Jew or not Jews
Yoel ,   Copenhagen, Denmark   (02.01.08)
So, a 100.000 Ethiopians came to Israel to live in the Jewish state. How many non-Jews came from the former USSR to live in the Jewish medine?
29. to # 22 Hey Charlie,the pilgrims copied
jason white ,   afula,israel   (02.01.08)
Thanksgiving from Succoth from the Bible. There were other "Purims" celebrated by other communities,beside the Purim we celebrate now. We can have almost everyday of the year as a holiday. Let us not have the ethiopians be separate. Either they join us or become a separate group here. By the way what about those ethiopians with crosses tattooed on their foreheads? Someone want to explain that? Or the russians and ethiopians that go to churches and mosques? Stop the unkosher allyah now. If someone cannot prove that they are Jewish, then make sure they do not come.
30. Bless all Jews everywhere
Petra ,   usa   (02.02.08)
G-d kept His promise to return Jews to Israel after being scattered. We are a varied people from varied lands. May they prosper, live in peace and reacquaint themselves with Jewish laws and holidays. If I recall correctly, Yiddish was once the 'natonal' tongue of Israel. With time, Hebrew is the national language( as it was originally) and so are the Jews returning to their original homeland, Israel. Mazel Tov!
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