In Toldot, this week’s parashah, Isaac offers the following blessing to Jacob as he sends him from his home to find a wife with the clear hope that he will return to the land of his birthright:
“May G-d bless you, make you fertile and numerous, so that you become an assembly of peoples. May you and your offspring be granted the blessing of Abraham, that you may possess the land where you are sojourning, which God assigned to Abraham.”
This Shabbat, as we read and reflect on this blessing, Israel observes the national holiday of Sigd (29 Heshvan). Sigd is a holiday that has been observed and celebrated for centuries in the Beta Yisrael (Ethiopian Jewish) community. In 2008, it became one of Israel’s national holidays, which makes it a holiday of the Jewish people.
So, what is Sigd and why should it be important to us here in St. Louis?
Sigd is celebrated 50 days after Yom Kippur. It is a holy day that focuses on yearning and return, specifically for the Land of Israel; introspection; humility; and commitment to Torah.
As celebrated in Ethiopia, people would journey from their villages to the largest village and, together, the entire community would climb a high mountain. It was a day marked by fasting and introspection. The kesim (their religious leaders) would read from the Torah, and the community would pray to return to Israel.
Now that the majority of the Beta Israeli community lives in Israel, the celebration of Sigd has begun to change just a bit. Rather than leaving it behind in Ethiopia, Beta Israelis have sought ways to make it relevant to their living in Israel, as well as a day that all Israelis and all Jews can partake in. The theme of return is important, as one thinks about one’s connection to Torah, to God and, especially, to the land of Israel. In many ways, Sigd is a day to reconnect with and celebrate one’s Jewish identity.
If you were in Israel during Sigd, you would see Beta Israelis carrying colorful umbrellas to shield them from the sun as they gathered in Jerusalem at the Hass Promenade in Armon HaNatziv. The kesim still read from the Torah but, instead of prayers longing for their return to Israel, they pray and offer gratitude for the privilege of living in Israel. They pray for equality among all people and for peace. After the prayers, they feast and celebrate.
Sigd has also become a day on which the community remembers the journey of the Ethiopian Jews to Israel and prays for those who died along the way. It has become a day to lift up the blessings and gifts that Beta Yisrael has brought to the larger Jewish community and, more importantly, the State of Israel.
Sigd adds another beautiful celebration of Jewish identity to our tapestry of Jewish holiday celebrations, much like the festival of Purim, which came from the diaspora community in Persia. So, how can we mark Sigd this year? Here are just a few ideas.
— Learn more about it. There are some great resources from the Jewish Agency for Israel or Jewish Unpacked.
— Eat some Ethiopian food. You can celebrate by making and eating some Dabo.
— Listen to the incredible music of Ethiopian Israelis, including Gili Yalo, Esther Radha and Eden Alene, who represented Israel at the 2021 Eurovision competition.
When Isaac blessed Jacob on his departure, he offered a blessing of prosperity and return, and I see in it a beautiful connection to the Beta Israelis in Israel today. They have been a blessing and, in their return, have brought blessing, enriching our larger Jewish community in so many amazing ways!
Am Yisrael Chai! Shabbat Shalom!
Chag Sigd Sameach! Melkam Sigd Bahal! Happy Sigd!
Rabbi Brigitte Rosenberg is a past president of the St. Louis Rabbinical and Cantorial Association, which coordinates the d’var Torah for the Jewish Light.
