Tonight is the holiday of Sigd, celebrated by the Beta Yisrael Ethiopian Jewish community and more recently an Israeli state holiday.
Sigd has a number of customs that resemble other Jewish holidays. Like Shavuot, it is set 50 days after another major holiday (Yom Kippur in this case.) and like Simchat Torah it features the reading of the (Ethiopian) Torah, the Orit, a Ge’ez translation of the Chumash, Joshua, Judges and Ruth (perhaps parts of other parts of Tanach.) Like the Fast of Esther and Purim, it is a fast followed by dancing and celebration.
Part of the prayers ask God to return the Jews to Israel and rebuild the Temple.
Which makes this a very Zionist holiday celebrated by people who no one can call “white supremacists.”
In Ethiopia, it was marked with a journey to the top of a mountain to re-enact the entire unified Jewish nation receiving the Torah. Nowadays, in Israel is is marked both at the Kotel and at the Haas-Sherover Promenade that overlooks the Temple Mount, where thousands gather to celebrate – Jews of all colors celebrating unity.
It’s the sort of thing that the socialist Jews who pretend to care about diversity and Judaism would never celebrate themselves.
(h/t MtTB)
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