Summary of the festival

Sigd is the festival of Ethiopian Jewry (Beta Israel), celebrated on 29 Cheshvan, fifty days after Yom Kippur. The name “Sigd” in the ancient language Ge’ez means prostration. It is a day of fasting, prayer and renewal of the covenant with God, with a longing to return to Jerusalem. Since 2008 it has been an official holiday in the State of Israel.

The mitzvot of the day

• Fasting until the afternoon, usually until midday or just after.
• Ascending a mountain or a high place: the community, dressed in white, climbs in procession with its elders (the “qessim”, the priests and spiritual leaders) and with the “Orit” (the Torah) in song and prayer.
• Reading and prayer: portions of the Torah, of the books of Ezra and Nehemiah (which describe the renewal of the covenant) and of Psalms are read, together with prayers of confession and renewal of the covenant.
• Breaking the fast with a meal, and the wish “Next year in Jerusalem”. The central ceremony in Israel takes place at the Armon HaNatziv promenade in Jerusalem.

Origin in history

The tradition of the Beta Israel has deep roots in Ethiopia, where the commandments of the Torah were kept without the Talmud. Sigd relies on the account in the book of Nehemiah (chapters 8-9): after the return from the Babylonian exile, all the people gathered, Ezra read them the Torah, and they wept, fasted, confessed and renewed the covenant. The community’s tradition also links the festival with the giving of the Torah at Sinai. The festival was celebrated in the Ethiopian highlands for centuries, was brought to Israel with the aliyah, and in 2008 the Knesset recognized it as a national holiday.

The message for today

Sigd reminds us that the covenant is not just a moment of revelation but a continuing renewal: each year, again, we choose it. It also recalls the deep link between prayer, study and hope for Zion. And in our time it helps all of Israel to recognize the richness of one of its branches, Ethiopian Jewry, which faithfully kept the longing for Jerusalem for many generations.