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Have you heard about Sigd?

sigd3

Who said the month of Chesvan doesn't have any holidays?  Let's get ready for SIGD!

Maybe not quite a full Ethiopian extravaganza, but I'd love to do something…

If the North American black community can invent Kwanzaa and turn it into major hoopla inside a single generation, can't the Jewish community embrace a "lost" festival that actually does have a long, authentic tradition???

As of last year, it is an officially state-recognized holiday in Israel.  That’s a good enough excuse for me to have a bit of fun. 

Plus, they do great embroideries like the piece shown above, though I doubt the authenticity of Ethiopian prints which depict, for example, menorahs… Beta Israel (Jews of Ethiopian origin) don’t have a tradition of celebrating Chanukah because they were already in exile when the story happened.

Still… fascinating!

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  1. ShiraNovember 13, 2009 9:00 AM

    I celebrated Sigd with the Ethopian girls in my seminary in Israel! It was a beautiful holiday, with wonderful traditions. It was a great way to learn about the culture of Ethiopian Jews. I really liked the idea that the holiday is about 'longing for Jerusalem', and had adapted to be about longing for the beit HaMikdash, now that they have returned to Jerusalem. So really, its a holiday about longing for Maschiach, I guess. Anyways, it was a great party, and I loved it. I think its definitely worth celebrating! Are there any Ethiopian Jews in Toronto?

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