Sigd, a holiday which is set on
the 29th of Hebrew month of Heshvan,
falls out on Shabbat this year.
A national holiday in Israel since 2008,
thousands of Ethiopian-Israelis celebrate
by coming to Jerusalem, Israel,
to the tayelet in Armon Hanetziv.
Kessim, religious elders, sit under umbrellas,
perhaps remembering the days in Ethiopia
when they went to the highest mountain to fast,
praying to one day return to Yerushalayim, to Zion.
Women can be seen praying,
and perhaps remembering life in Ethiopia,
and their arduous journey to Sudan and challenges in Israel.
Each year,
more and more of the young people
young women as well as men,
are serving in the Israeli Defense Forces.
Sigd was observed on Thursday this year,
so as not to have the celebrations interfere with Shabbat.
The reason the main celebration is on the tayelet
is that its elevation provides this, one of the best views
of the Old City and the Temple Mount.
שבת שלום
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Beautiful reporting. Had not known about Sigd. What wonderful minhagim our “family” have. We should know about all of them and why they are celebrated. Every Jew is precious and so is their (our) heritage. Chodesh tov, and happy thanksgiving to our American family (last month was Canadian thanksgiving). Chanukah is less than a light year away- lots of minhagim with that iiiiIiiii
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Thank you