Sigd in Jerusalem
Sigd – The Festival of the Beta Israel Community
The Sigd festival has been celebrated for centuries by Ethiopian Jews, 50 days after Yom Kippur and marks the renewal of the covenant between the people of Israel and their God!
We will gather at a Promenade, overlooking the Old City and the site of the Jewish Temple, to witness an ancient, biblical ceremony that remains unique to the Ethiopian Jewish community—the 'Beta Israel.'=The house of Israel
We will figure out when Jews arrived in Ethiopia, where they lived, and how they preserved their Jewish identity. We will discuss the essence of this holiday, its customs, the status and role of the community’s priests (*Kessim*), the scriptural readings, and the ancient language of prayer. We will hear the prayers and , and sense the deep devotion and faith that beat within the hearts of this remarkable community.
The Kessim at the Sigd
We will gather at a Promenade, overlooking the Old City and the site of the Jewish Temple, to witness an ancient, biblical ceremony that remains unique to the Ethiopian Jewish community—the 'Beta Israel.'
From the ceremony
All photographs and texts on this site were taken and written by Rahel Afarsemon unless otherwise credited beside the image or video
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Profound Experiential tours in Jerusalem
Faith. Religions. Rituals. Prayers
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Your guideRahel AfarsemonMinistry of Tourism licence 8854Hebrew · English