Weil, from the Research Institute for Innovation in Education at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, is an anthropologist and expert on Ethiopian Jewry who has spent years studying the Ethiopian community and its acclimation into Israeli society.
Weil explains that every one of the African groups has a unique story. For example, the Lemba people of South Africa, Zimbabwe and in Mozambique and Malawi numbers some 70,000 Christians, but its leaders claim that they are the descendants of Yemenite Jews who migrated to South Africa. The Lemba people are seeking recognition as the descendants of Jews and have even appealed to the South African Jewish community for financial support to build synagogues.
Well first let's see how they agree to being circumized.
ReplyDeleteOddly enough, the Lemba have the genetic material to support their claim.
"Oddly enough, the Lemba have the genetic material to support their claim."
DeleteIt's on the y chromosome, so it's irrelevant, since it would be patrilinear...
These claims are no more or less legit than the claims of the Ethiopians (Falush Mura, Beta Israel, etc.) to being Jewish.
ReplyDeleteNone of them are Jewish. (Unless fully and properly converted, with a clear intent by the individual applicant to start observing all 613 Mitzvos.)
A transcript from a shiur by Hagaon HaRav Avigdor Miller ztvk'l (available on Torah Tapes):
ReplyDeleteQ: The Rav mentioned that the Ethiopian immigrants are not Jews, and one of the worst mistakes was to bring them in. So we did a little research and found out that the former Sfardi Rav, Rav Yosef said they are Jews. So we went a little further, and went to Rabbi Yitzchok Alster, who brought down in the name of Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, zichrono livracha, that Reb Moshe said that if there's any kind of safek at all, that somebody may be a Jew, they must be saved. So we wonder how you will respond to this?
A: Let me explain something to you. There are certain things that you have to know are lomdos, and it depends on למדנים. And certain things you know are metzius, and it depends on people who know the metzius - facts. Ethiopians have no connection with our nation at all; not the slightest hava amina. And therefore there is no safek at all and they never were megayer. They never had any Torah among them. They never had any white Jews among them. After all, the Jews are a white people, you have to know. The Ethiopians are a black people. And, therefore, they're mnothing but a group of gentiles who adopted some our ways. They have no connection to us at all; not the slightest. And this is not a matter of this talmid chochom saying this or that, because they don't know. But when you know the history of the Ethiopians, then you know the Ethiopians have no valid tradition at all. And this is by historians. It is only lately that the New York Times came out for the "Ethiopian Jews". The New York Times gave them semicha as Jews. But up until recently, all the historians knew they were not Jews. They were just blacks who adopted some Jewish customs. And, therefore, there isn't the slightest doubt about the question. Now how great is the error? Maybe they did bigger errors in the State of Israel. It's quite possible. But they're bringing in blacks who refuse to be megayer. Now, if they're such sincere people, let them at least go through the geirus. If they lived so long without the Torah, let them be megayer. No, they refuse to be megayer. Now if they stay the way they are and increase and multiply - they're going into the government and school - the government schools will now have black atheists, black criminals, and you'll have black ghettos and the black problem of Israel. Do they need this on top of all the tzoros they have? So it shouldn't be any question in your mind. As far as I'm concerned, there's not the slightest hava amina that the blacks are Jews.
"After all, the Jews are a white people, you have to know."
DeleteWhat nonsense. There has always been a wide variety of skin colors among Jews and the Talmud, Rishonim and Achronim attest to that.
Do you think the Tannaim and Amoraim in Bavel were "white"?
yes
Deletethe few references to skin color in Bible and Talmud would seem to indicate that black was not common. It is true there were always gradations from white to dark- but the black of Africans was not one of them.
DeleteAside from making an assertion do you have any evidence that indicates that Africans would have historically been viewed as within the normative appearance?
Peoples can change color over the years when traveling to different environments. So I don't see why you can't have Ethiopian Jews who are black.
DeleteThe Mishna in Negaim makes it quite clear that the Jews were not "white" like the Europeans. The Mishna further juxtaposes the European with the African as if both were common or known to the Tannaim.
DeleteTape # 844.
ReplyDeleteInteresting movie about Ethiopian Jews:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5QNOq_EWhc
As far as the Lemba is concerned, they have mitochondrial DNA to back up that assertion repleat with the cohen gene.
ReplyDeletethe following is from my Daas Torah 2nd edition
ReplyDeleteRacism is prohibited
Rav Moshe Feinstein (Pardes 59:1 September 1984/Igros Moshe(9th volume): …One should assist the Ethiopians who claim to be Jews - in all their needs – whether material or spiritual. I am very distressed by what I have heard regarding the Ethiopians in Israel that there is resistance to bringing them closer to Jewish observance and this causes – G d forbid! – that they are lost from Judaism. It appears to me that this resistance is only because of the black color of their skin. It is obvious that they should be brought closer to Judaism not only because in fact they are not worse than other Jews and there is no halachic significance to their being black - but also because it is possible that some of them are actually converts and thus are included in the mitzva of loving the convert…
So according to Rabbi Miller, R' Feinstein and R' Yosef were this and that Rabbis who didnt know anything.
ReplyDeleteRecent genetic analysis of Ethiopian people in general show that 50% of their dna is from sub-Sahara Africa, while the other half is from Syria, Israel & Egypt. This intermixture dates back around 2300 years ago. If the date actually coincides w/King Solomon & his connection to Queen Sheba, then it may be that a large contingent of King Solomon was sent there & they married local converts. The de-oraitha evidence of their Jewish background is writing Sifrei Torah & mezuzoth on predesignated lines which is a halakha to Moshe MiSinai. They also have an oral mesorah that they are "Falasha," "strangers" in Amharite. Jews are actually a brown people, so there's a bigger question on white Jews, especially since recent genetic research shows that Ashkenazic Jewry descends largely from non-Jewish women about 2,000 years ago. Why do we have any reason to doubt that both Ashkenazic & Ethiopian Jewry did not do proper giyur when it was appropriate? Another piece of de-oraitha evidence that Ethiopian Jewry is bono fide is the 16th century Egyptian Chief Rabbi David Ben Solomon ibn Avi Zimra (Radbaz) & his declaration that Ethiopian Jewry is Jewish. Rabbi Azriel Hildesheimer of Eisenstadt, Germany followed suit as did the Rishon LeTzion Rabbi 'Ovadiyah Yosef (who recently passed away w/around 1,000,000 people attending his funeral). I happen to be a teacher of different Ethiopian students in Israel. Three of them are charedi talmedi Chakhamim & are a such a pleasure to teach. One is in a national religious school & he's quite smart, though not as strong as the charedim students, he loves truth & hates injustice. I also recently started teaching in a secular school & have an Ethiopian female student who left her religious school because "they don't teach anything there." She is very sweet, modest & gentle & I always encourage her to behave in a Jewish way, just like all Jews should.
ReplyDelete