
Sigd: A Celebration for All:
How might Jews in the U.S. celebrate Sigd while honoring the history and culture of the Beta Israel community?
Rabbi Ruth Abusch-Magder, PhD
& Dr. Bezawit Abebe
Sigd is an ancient Jewish holiday preserved through the generations exclusively by Ethiopian Jews. Awareness of Sigd is growing in the United States and can become an opportunity to expand understanding of the Jewish people’s historical racial and ethnic diversity.
Sigd celebration could open conversations that center the Black Jewish experience, challenge colonialist ways of thinking about the center and periphery of Jewish life, and help explore the complex culture and history of Ethiopian Jews.
At the same time, the adoption of Sigd may fuel tokenism, relegating engagement with the multifaceted issues of racial diversity in the Jewish community. Explore what celebrating Sigd with intention in the United States might look like.
Download Lesson Plan

Youth Education Curriculum
For More on This Topic
- What is Sigd? – An infographic by Ruth Abusch-Magder and Bezawit Abebe of Be’chol Lashon
- The Festival of Sigd – A short video
- Why Ethiopian Jews are building a movement against Racism in Israel – A video report about Ethiopian Jews in Israel by VICE News
- Have you ever heard of the Sigd holiday? – A short video about Sigd celebrations in Israel from the Israeli Government Press Office
Next Steps
Sign Up For Updates
Get curriculum updates delivered to your email as they are released.
Explore Another Topic
Dive into more of the research by continuing to another topic.