Sigd — Holiday of Ethiopian Jews

Locate Ethiopia on a map; show images of Sigd; tell the Beta Israel story simply.

Children wonder and discover; you facilitate more than you lecture.

• What is Sigd and who celebrates it?
• How do people celebrate Sigd?

Sigd is celebrated by Ethiopian Jews (Beta Israel) 50 days after Yom Kippur, expressing longing for Jerusalem and renewing the covenant. It’s now an official Israeli holiday.

• Sigd — prostration
• Beta Israel — Ethiopian Jewish community
• Yerushalayim — Jerusalem

“Are Ethiopian Jews ‘really’ Jewish?”

Absolutely — Beta Israel are an ancient Jewish community with a rich, proud tradition.

• Children learn the general history of Ethiopian Jews (Beta Israel).
• Children experience a holiday unique to one community yet part of all Judaism.

A vital window into the multiracial Jewish world; teach with deep respect and avoid ‘exotic’ framing — this is simply part of our people.

Folktale. The Queen of Sheba and Solomon (Ethiopian / Tanakh) — a legendary queen central to Ethiopian Jewish heritage.

Changemaker. Yityish ‘Titi’ Aynaw — the first Ethiopian-Israeli Miss Israel and a proud community leader.

How is Sigd the same as, and different from, holidays you already know?

“We learned about Sigd and Ethiopian Jews. Try at home: explore the many colors and cultures of the Jewish people together.”