An Ethiopian Jewish Pilgrimage
By Robyn Haberman
Many unique holidays can be found on the Ethiopian Jewish calendar. Perhaps the most culturally significant among them is the Sigd. It has a rich history and deep spiritual overtones, marking a treasured annual event in the once-isolated Jewish community.
Ethiopian Jewish history is marked by the many challenges Ethiopian Jews faced throughout history, from isolation to mass migration. Yet, Sigd reminds us of the beauty of their faith with a celebration of resilience and identity.
Ethiopian Jews: A Brief History
Often referred to as Beta Israel or “House of Israel,” the history of a Jewish tribe in Ethiopia dates back thousands of years. But how exactly did they come to make a home in the African nation? No one can truly say for sure.
Scholars have dueling theories. Some link them to the legendary visit the Queen of Sheba made to King Solomon, a long-standing narrative in Ethiopian folklore. Others theorize that they were the direct descendants of one of the 10 lost tribes of Israel, the tribe of Dan. Exiled in the 8th century BCE after the Assyrian conquest, these tribes had to flee their homeland.
For centuries, this population in Ethiopia was without access to the larger Jewish community throughout the world. Instead, they existed in isolation. Incredibly, they maintained many of the traditions of their origin, observing holidays as familiar to us as Passover and Yom Kippur. But the religion also evolved in its isolation, with differing customs, traditions and holidays unique to their culture.
It wasn’t until the 20th century that the existence of the Ethiopian Jews was known and recognized by other Jewish communities. At the same time, the Ethiopian government and other surrounding Arab nations grew suspicious, questioning their Jewish identity and making life significantly more difficult for them. The community endured persecution, discrimination, economic hardship, and loss of rights to their land and to travel, and even to the practice of Judaism itself.
Despite this, the traditions of Beta Israel, like the observance of Sigd, continue.
The Sigd, Explained
In Ge’ez, an ancient Ethiopian language, sigd is a word for “prostration.” (It is related to the word sged of the same meaning in Aramaic, one of the languages of the Talmud.) The holiday is centered around Beta Israel’s yearning for Zion and the spiritual connection the community has to God. At its core, it reflects their longing to return to Jerusalem, remembrance, faith and a plea for redemption.
The Sigd takes place on the 29th day of the Hebrew month of Cheshvan, marking 50 days past Yom Kippur. Traditionally, this is thought to be the date on which God first revealed himself to Moses. The day’s festivities include prayer, fasting and other rituals designed to foster connection between the Jewish people, their heritage and their belief in God.
The holiday’s origins date back to a period when Ethiopian Jews were disconnected from the Jewish world beyond, and Jerusalem seemed very far away, indeed. Generations of Ethiopian Jews prayed fervently in hopes of someday journeying to the holy city in Israel. The Sigd was a symbolic affirmation of their unbreakable bond with Jerusalem despite the miles that separated them from it.
Spiritual leader Qes Efraim Zion Lawi once described the Sigd as a holiday centered on hope, “the hope of living in Israel and rebuilding the temple. Until the day that happens, we need to keep our Jewish and Ethiopian identities alive and thriving.”
The Meaning of the Sigd
The members of the Beta Israel community held faith in God’s promise to lead them to Jerusalem one day, the Sigd being both a spiritual and communal event that symbolizes their enduring faith. The holiday also served as an expression of hope for redemption: Jews in Ethiopia celebrated the Sigd as a means of renewing their commitment to the laws and traditions of the Jewish religion.
The Sigd is a many-layered event, blending a day of fasting with joyful celebration. While it symbolizes a yearning for spiritual closeness to God, it also provides a reason for the community to gather together, pray together and give thanks. Connected as it is to the concept of repentance, the holiday allows individuals and the community as a whole to renew their covenant with God.
Sigd Traditions and Customs
The traditions of the Beta Israel people around the Sigd are rich with meaning. It was the practice of Jews in Ethiopia to make a communal pilgrimage to a high place, like a hilltop, often carrying stones or holy books as a sign of humility.
Community members traditionally wore white as they symbolically drew themselves closer to heaven. On the hilltop, often referred to as “the mountain of God,” they would turn their faces towards Jerusalem as they prayed for forgiveness and the eventual redemption of the Jewish people.
Activist Shula Mola also recalls a remembrance of the dead, when celebrants would sprinkle grains of wheat so that birds could carry their prayers to heaven.
Similar to Yom Kippur, the Sigd also centered around a daylong fast — this one from sunrise to sunset. Fasting was employed as a form of atonement and spiritual purification. Members of the Jewish community would devote much of the day to prayers and reading from the Orit, the Ethiopian Torah, and other scriptures. Most notable is the inclusion of Nehemiah, which delves into the themes of repentance and a return to Jerusalem.
Led by the priests of the Ethiopian Jewish faith, called the Kessim, the prayer services combined both the Hebrew and Ge’ez languages in the liturgy in a collective yearning for spiritual redemption. The prayers culminate with the reading of the Torah as the sacred scroll is brought out.
Then the party starts: Once the fasting concludes at sunset, the celebrants come together for a festive meal that includes traditional foods like injera (a flatbread) and stews. The celebration includes dancing and expressions of joy that reflect the Beta Israel’s unity and heritage.
The Sigd Today: Beyond Ethiopia
To understand the transformations that the Sigd has undergone in recent years, it is vital to note the mass emigration of Ethiopian Jews to Israel in the late 20th century. In the 1980s, Israel completed Operation Moses, airlifting 8,000 Ethiopian Jews to safety and reuniting them with other Jewish communities. Operation Solomon followed in 1991, rescuing another 14,000 members of the Beta Israel community.
In 2008, in recognition of the unique traditions of the Beta Israel people, Israel made the Sigd an official holiday, combining some of the original customs with modern Jewish practices. Public ceremonies that include prayers and Torah readings are held at Armon HaNatziv, a Jerusalem promenade overlooking the Old City, and in other locations. They are attended by Israeli leaders who acknowledge the Ethiopian Jewish community’s contributions to the cultural fabric of the nation. Often, the celebration involves a ceremonial ascent to a hilltop, invoking pilgrimages of the past in Ethiopia.
Awareness of Sigd has steadily grown beyond the Ethiopian Jewish community and Israel, with Jewish communities worldwide participating in its observance. It has become an enduring symbol of the connection between the Diaspora and the Jewish state, bridging gaps in history and culture.
Due to the migration of most Ethiopian Jews, the Sigd is less commonly observed in the Beta Israel’s former homeland in Ethiopia. Small pockets of the community, however, still observe the holiday in private homes and in small gatherings, preserving the Sigd’s traditions to this day.
In the diaspora, particularly in countries like the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, the Sigd has found new roots. In many cities, Ethiopian Jewish organizations host public events that include prayers, celebrations and discussions about Ethiopian Jewish history and culture. These cultural touchstones have become important for younger generations of the Beta Israel and for those who seek to understand their ancient and remarkable heritage.
The Sigd is more than just a holiday, it is an embodiment of the Ethiopian Jewish community’s enduring faith and connection to their roots. It tells the story of their hopes and resilience in the face of hardship and an unwavering belief in the promises of God that was passed from generation to generation, and endures today.
Celebrate Sigd at Home
Bring the holiday into your kitchen with the traditional Ethiopian recipes in the sidebars to this story, and caffeine lovers, don’t forget the Ethiopian coffee ceremony! An Ethiopian coffee ceremony features three rounds of brewing, each with its own name and meaning. The first, Abol, produces the strongest, most flavorful coffee. The second round, called Tona, is milder, using the same coffee grounds as before. Last is Bereka, the lightest brew to signal that the ceremony is coming to an end.