Beta Israel

Beta Israel ( House of Israel ) are Ethiopian Jews. They are also with the derived from the Ge'ez language word Falasha ( Germanized Falashas ) referred, which means " emigrants " or " exiles " and connotes a pejorative. After the operations Moses (1984 ), Joshua (1985 ), Solomon (1991) and pigeons wings ( 2011), they mostly live in Israel ( approximately 120,000 in 2010). Only a minority remained in Ethiopia.

• 2.1 Falashas
• 2.2 Kemant
• 2.3 Falaschamura

• 4.1 Requirements
• 4.2 Practical implementation 4.2.1 Operation Moses
• 4.2.2 Operation Solomon
• 4.2.3 Operation pigeon wing

• 5.1 Formal conversion
• 5.2 Integration

Origin

So far there is no consensus among historians on the origin of the Beta Israel. The various opinions can be summarized under two basic positions, the Israelite immigration thesis and the Christian origin thesis.

Theory of immigration from Israel

After the earlier majority opinion of the Beta Israel even their ancestors according to the testimony of the Ethiopian legend of the Queen of Sheba - in Ethiopia it is called Queen Makeda - immigrated from Israel. The Ethiopian national epic, the Kebra Negast ( the glory of the kings ), originating from the 14th century written version of the legend, whose son Menelik coming describes, in fact, as in the generation after the Queen Makeda I of Ethiopia his father Solomon in Jerusalem visited. On his return he was accompanied by a numerous retinue of Israelite firstborn, as their descendants consider themselves the Beta Israel. Meanwhile, the Beta Israel are as descendants of the tribe of Dan, one of the ten lost tribes of Israel, officially recognized by the Israeli rabbinate. This view may be based in particular on rabbinic sources of the Middle Ages. Their cult exercises correspond to the Jewish customs before formation of the Talmud.

Theory of apostasy from Christianity

The Aksumite kings were followers of a polytheistic demonstrably non-Jewish religion before Ezana converted to Christianity about 333. Due to the lack of contemporary testimonies, many historians assume that there were no Beta Israel at that time. The formation of this religious and ethnic group was due to the subsequent waste of fundamentalist Christian groups and königsuntreuer. Representatives of this opinion are also based on the membership of the previously Cushitic languages ​​spoken by the Beta Israel Agau languages ​​Qwara and Kayla. In addition, DNA analyzes reveal no special proximity to Jewish populations recognize.

Groups

The Beta Israel can be divided into three main groups, the Falashas or Beta Israel, the Kemant and Falaschamura.

Falashas

The Falashas are Ethiopians Israelite- Jewish faith who consider themselves to be descendants of the tribe of Dan and practice an archaic form of Judaism. They lived north and north-east of Lake Tana in the regions Begemder and Simien and were shunned as artisan caste of the Amhara and Tigray. Their language, Qawra, one of the Cushitic languages ​​, and their Bible is written in Ge'ez and identical to the Orthodox Christians of Ethiopia. In north -west Ethiopia existed until the end of the 15th century away from the Christian empire and temporarily subjected him a kingdom of the Falashas.

The Falashas celebrated Purim not yet Hanukkah, as they had historically been away from the center of Judaism before this season came up. After their arrival in the State of Israel, most Beta Israel adhere to these holidays. They own their own orally handed down law that often resembles that of the Karaites. However interpret their elders or the priestly caste, the so-called kessim or qessotch, the biblical law of the Tanach in a completely different way, not by what practicing other rabbinic Jewish communities in other parts of the world. In this sense, the Beta Israel are pursuing a similar tradition to the Talmud, although they sometimes contrary to the teaching and practice of other Jewish communities around the world is. Today, they are a community in the river and have adopted many traditions of normative Judaism.

Kemant

The Kemant colonize the area north of Lake Tana and are historically and ethnically closely related to the Beta Israel. As the Falashas they are to be regarded as an artisan caste, but their specialty is the construction of papyrus boats on Lake Tana. Your former pagan Hebrew religion they have now abandoned in favor of Ethiopian Christianity. They are threatened with extinction and are now fused to a community of less than 300 members.

Falaschamura

The Falaschamura not belong to the Falashas, but are viewed by the Israeli Chief Rabbinate as forcibly Christianized Ethiopians originally Jewish faith. They are of different origin, but ultimately claiming descent from the Falashas. These include in particular the province of the Shoah scattered Tabiban ( blacksmith).

After immigration to Israel, facilitated conversion process is performed to Judaism. They formed a strong group within the Messianic Jews of Israel.

It is debatable whether they should be granted Israeli citizenship, ultraorthodxe Jews reject this. Since the Israeli government allowed the immigration of Falashamura limited, there were just under 8000 to 2011 Falaschamura who waited in Ethiopia on the emigration to Israel and then immigrated through surgery pigeon wings.

In the Ethiopian state

During the Middle Ages was until 1616 a Jewish kingdom in northwestern Ethiopia. It was conquered by its neighbors, and thus began the decline of the Beta Israel. At the beginning of the 18th century their number was estimated to have 250,000; at the end of this period there were only 100,000.

With the fall of Emperor Haile Selassie on 12 September 1974, the situation deteriorated to the Beta Israel. During the upheaval around 2500 Beta Israel lost their lives, another 7,000 were left homeless. During the Socialist military dictatorship from 1974, the Beta Israel were expropriated and integrated into agricultural co-operatives with a majority of non-Jewish residents. Also there were many forced recruitment into the Ethiopian army, also of boys who were only 12 years old.

By 1985, the number of Beta Israel shrank to 25,000 people.

Return to Israel

Requirements

The Falashas were already in the 16th century by the Egyptian Rabbi ben Solomon ibn Avi Zimra ( Radbaz ) as a Jew of the tribe of Dan recognized. The confirmation of rabbis from 45 countries was granted in 1908.

From the Israeli government as " official " Jews Beta Israel were recognized only in 1975 after a decision of the Sephardic Rabbi Josef Ovadja. Thus, they were considered descendants of the tribe of Dan, one of the ten lost tribes of Israel. Thus, they were given the right to settle in the context of the repatriation law of 5 July 1950 in Israel.

Practical implementation

By 1977, only certain groups of Falashas to Israel came. Since 1977 has been negotiated by the Israeli government under Menachem Begin intensively for permission to emigrate. From 1977 to 1984 on 8000 Falashas came to Israel in exchange for arms supplies to the Ethiopian government. Nevertheless, the Ethiopian government banned the learning of Hebrew, and the Kesim (ie religious leaders ) were harassed and monitored by the government.

Operation Moses

Took place between 21 November 1984 and January 5, 1985 with an airlift the return of about 8,000 Ethiopian Jews from Sudan. They had fled because of a famine there. Probably a lot more Beta Israel were still trying to flee to Sudan, but were a result of hunger and disease killed on the long walk.

The allowed from Sudan flights were performed at night in secret. When the story broke in the media, forcing other Arab states of the Sudan to stop the flights. Therefore, first had to be left behind about 1,000 Beta Israel in Sudan.

494 of them were subsequently brought under the so-called Operation Joshua in March 1985 to Israel.

Operation Solomon

From 23 - May 25, 1991 14,324 Jews were taken to another airlift within 35 hours and 25 minutes 41 flights from Addis Ababa to Tel Aviv. This unique today to airlift was carried out of the area enclosed by rebel Ethiopian capital. Thus the number of Beta Israel in Israel rose to 36,000.

Operation pigeon wing

From November 2011, a total of 7846 more Falashmura were brought to Israel in 93 government-organized flights until August 2012. In a refugee camp in the city of Gonder they had been supplied since 2012 and prepared for departure. Furthermore, about 5000 Falaschamura were refused recognition as a practicing Jew, thus should be officially closed by the operation of the immigration of the Falashas. A " right of return" as Jews should only be considered within the framework individually asked membership applications.

In Israel

Formal conversion

Rabbi Yosef decreed a pro forma conversion to Judaism all Beta Israel after their arrival in the State of Israel and a declaration of submission under the lifestyle of Halacha, or teaching and practice of the Orthodox rabbinic Judaism. Many rabbinical authorities see the conversion to Judaism not as a pro forma, but as real. The practice of Beta Israel differs in certain areas significantly from those of other forms of Judaism, as in Ethiopia, the Beta Israel community had mostly lived in ignorance of the Talmud. Today, more than 100,000 Ethiopian Jews live in Israel, most of them in the cities of Netanya, Haifa, Jerusalem, Be'er Sheva, Rehovot, Ashdod, Ashkelon and Kiryat Mal'achi.

Integration

After their arrival, the lengthy process of reception and integration began in the Israeli society. The Beta Israel had because of their strict religious rites, the foreign language and the dark skin alien to the Israelis. The Falashas felt like a stranger in Israel. Many had been farmers, had lived in poor huts, using no electricity or running water.

The social and cultural barriers were difficult to overcome for many, and they usually live are common among socially disadvantaged and sometimes discriminatory conditions in cities.

Some of the young Falashas adapted themselves to the prevailing form of Orthodox Judaism in Israel, while others are oriented in Israel on secular lifestyle. Older Falashas and especially the kessim exist despite the formal adoption of the " normative " Judaism continues to insist on maintaining their own form of Judaism as it is practiced in Ethiopia and Eritrea.

People

Shlomo Molla, * 1965, Kadima politicians

Shimon Solomon, * 1968, politicians of Yesh Atid

Zohar Zemiro, * 1977, marathon runners

Pnina Tamano - Schata, * 1981, Members of Knesset

Esti Mamo, * 1983 Model

Hagit Yaso, * 1989, singer