Black Judaism

Ethiopian Judaism (Ge'ez: ሃይማኖት, romanized: Haymanot) is a branch of Judaism practiced by Ethiopian Jews, characterized by its partial acceptance of Talmudic law. Regarded as a lost tribe, Ethiopian Jewish communities experienced a prolonged period of separation from Jewish societies elsewhere.

The first recorded contact between the mainstream Jewish world and the Ethiopian Jews dates to the 9th century, when Jewish merchant and traveler Eldad ha-Dani visited East Africa. In his account, ha-Dani claims that he came in contact with a group of Jews of sub-Saharan African ethnicity in the land of Ethiopia who were identified as the "Falashas" (derogatory term, lit. 'landless wanderers'). For centuries, leaders in other Jewish communities dismissed the account's reliability, and no further research or contact was undertaken.

The long-term isolation and the lack of circulation in Ethiopia of the Talmud and later writings resulted in differences between Ethiopian Judaism and other Jewish traditions. The Talmudic laws regarding marriage and divorce, for example, were not present in Ethiopian Judaism as represented in reports written by 20th century Israeli Jewish religious authorities. In addition, Ethiopian Jews' observation of the Jewish Sabbath, the practice of dietary laws and the celebration of holidays are all slightly different compared to those of other Jewish traditions.

Most Ethiopian Jews now live in Israel, having been airlifted there in the 1980s and 1990s in operations Moses, Joshua, and Solomon.

The Abayudaya are a group of Bagwere and Busoga people who collectively converted to Judaism in the early 20th century, under the leadership of Semei Kakungulu. Persecuted under the regime of Idi Amin, the community has since revitalized, with a current population of around 2000 to 3000 people.[1] Kulanu, an organization dedicated to Jewish outreach, has sent emissaries from Israel to help the Abayudaya practice mainstream Judaism and work to be recognized by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel.

North American Black Judaism is a religious movement that originated as a product of the Black Hebrew Israelite nationalist movement after the emancipation of the Black slaves following the American Civil War. According to a number of scholars who support what is referred to as the "identification theory", after centuries of being labeled with pejoratives, the Black American communities' urge to find a new collective identity that will represent them in positive light drove them to congregate under the label "Hebrew Israelite", essentially painting themselves as descendants of the tribes of Israel. Along with adopting the new Identity, the "Hebrew Israelite" communities adopted a form of Judaism (or created the syncretist religion which is later labeled as "Black Judaism") as the centerpiece of such nationalist movement. Theologically speaking, Black Judaism is widely seen as a branch of African American religion instead of a branch of Western historical Judaism, Judaism in the common sense. Black Judaism is essentially a messianic belief system which labels the Black community as the true Chosen People.

James Landing, one of the most established scholars on the subject matter of Black Judaism, categorized Black Judaism as a form of social protest, having more social value than theological value. By steering away from Christianity and adopting Judaism as the collective faith, the post-Emancipation (especially Jim Crow-era) Black American communities sought to distinguish themselves from the mainstream American society which they deem hostile.

There are also many African-Americans who practice mainstream Judaism, and some congregations specifically centered around Black Jewish communities, such as Beth Shalom B'nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation in Chicago (although it is affiliated with the Black Hebrew Israelite movement, its rabbi, Capers Funnye, underwent a formal conversion to Judaism).