Ethiopian Jews Celebrate a Festival, Gain Israeli Attention for Their Traditions

Above: Ethiopian Sigd festival – worship in Jerusalem (Photo
credit: Yaldor Photography – for more images of past festivals,
visit: PBase.com).

FORWARD
The Jewish Daily
By Nathan Jeffay
Published November 18, 2009
Jerusalem — It looked like a scene straight out of the Bible. The men at the front wore outfits based on those of the Priests of the Ancient Temple of Jerusalem, and sent out over the hills a wail that could be heard several miles away. And indeed, it was an emulation of a biblical scene. A crowd of about 10,000 people gathered on November 16 to celebrate Sigd, a festival in which Ethiopian Jews gather on high ground to mimic an episode that was recorded in the Book of Nehemiah — the recommitment of the Israelites to Torah in the fifth century BCE, upon their return to Jerusalem after the First Exile. Read More.