Come Celebrate  Sigd with us!

 SIGD is a very special holiday that has been celebrated by Ethiopian Jews for thousands of years. It is an ancient holiday that was first practiced by the [Jewish prophets in the Torah], such as Ezra and Nehemia, while exiled in Babylon. Ethiopian Jews held onto the celebration of Sigd for many years.

Sigd is held seven weeks after Yom Kippur and has two parts. The first part is fasting, praying, asking for forgiveness, and yearning for togetherness. Back in Ethiopia, the celebrants would go to a high mountain and pray all day and chant. Dressed in their best clothing, people would ask for forgiveness and carry a rock on their back. When they reached the top of the mountain, they would throw the rock, letting go of all their sins.

Around midday, everybody goes down from the mountain for the second part of Sigd. They have a wonderful feast with delicious food such as Doro Wat (an onion-based chicken stew from Ethiopia), cabbage, collard greens, Dabo [Ethiopian honey bread], and drinks like Tej (honey wine) and beer [called Talla]. Sigd is dear to my heart, and a holiday that I love. It's an ancient tradition that Jews around the diaspora should continue to celebrate until the Third Temple is rebuilt.