Ethiopians celebrate under shadow of discrimination

Tens of thousands of Ethiopian Jews arrive in Jerusalem to celebrate Sigd holiday. This time, community leaders say that there is an awakening because of ongoing discrimination, mostly by rabbinical authority

Miri Chason|Published: 11.20.06 , 20:55

Tens of thousands of Ethiopian Jews arrived in Jerusalem on Monday to celebrate the Sigd holiday, celebrated annually. This time, many more participants arrived at the festivities, they say, because of the feeling that people do not recognize their Jewish identity.

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The Sigd holiday is celebrated each year on the 29th day of the Jewish month of Cheshvan and represents the yearning for Jerusalem. In Ethiopia, the kessim, the elders of their community, would pray towards Jerusalem from the top of a mountain, while the followers would stay at the bottom. They prayed, fasted, and asked to return to Jerusalem.

Benny Aklom, 28, a biology student at Bar Ilan University arrived in Jerusalem as head of the campaign against discrimination policy which was established by the younger generation of the Ethiopian Jewish community. Aklom finds a correlation between the number of participants this year and the way they are treated.

"Once a year we come to Jerusalem and pray towards the Temple Mount for a renewed building of the Holy Temple. This year there is an awakening because of the struggle against discrimination lead by the Chief Rabbinate and its treatment of Ethiopian Jews," Aklom said

Sigd holiday (Photo: Dudi Vaknin)

According to Aklom, the members of the Ethiopian community are perceived as if their status in Israeli society is lacking, both as Israelis and as Jews.

"Which ethnic group has a special rabbi who takes care of them? Only the Ethiopians have a special chief rabbi. There is a connection here between the discrimination and the Sigd holiday because our Jewishness is questioned by the State."

Aklom continued: "For instance, I can't get married like any other Jew. The day I want to get married, I have to go to Jaffa so a special rabbi can give me permit and open a file for me. After that I have to return to the religious council in my town in order to get married. In addition, not all religious councils are willing to marry Ethiopians and send them to other religious councils in the area."

Aklom also asked, "For what reason was Israel established? Herzl's vision was a home for all Jews, but we are not treated equally like it is our home."

Minister of Immigration and Absorption Ze'ev Boim said during the ceremony that he hopes that the day will be near where all Ethiopians who are still waiting in Ethiopia will arrive in Israel. "This holiday should be turned into a holiday of the entire Jewish People," Boim said.