The Ethiopian Jewish community celebrated Sigd on Thursday, a traditional festival which takes place fifty days after Yom Kippur, in a context marked by war and the hostage-taking in Gaza. This year, the celebrations took on a special dimension, combining ancestral traditions and prayers for the hostages.
Sigd, which means “prostration” in the Ge'ez language, is a day of fasting, purification and spiritual renewal, characterized by a deep aspiration for Jerusalem. The traditional ceremony was held at the Governor's Palace in Jerusalem, with the fast ending at 2 p.m.
Many community members also gathered at the Western Wall, where Kessim (spiritual leaders) and deputies led prayers. The ceremonies were organized by the Western Wall Heritage Foundation and the Jerusalem Municipality. In his speech, Israeli President Isaac Herzog highlighted the particular symbolism of this celebration in the current context: “If immigration from Ethiopia symbolizes a supreme value, it is that of belonging to our common home. Today, our brothers and sisters have not yet returned from Gaza, and we cannot find peace until they are back among us.” Herzog notably mentioned the case of Avera Mengistu, an Israeli of Ethiopian origin held in Gaza, calling for everything possible to be done for the return of the hostages: “The sanctity of life which flows in our veins as a nation obliges us to fulfill this supreme human, moral, Jewish and Israeli duty: to bring them home.” A special exhibition tracing the millennia-old history of the Ethiopian community since biblical times was also presented in the Western Wall tunnels, allowing visitors to experience this rich cultural and spiritual heritage. Knesset Deputy Speaker Moshe Solomon highlighted the special dimension of prayers this year, focused on supporting the Israeli government, the security forces, the return of hostages and the recovery of those injured, both physical and psychological.
