Religion:Black Judaism

Short description: Judaism that is predominantly practiced by African communities

Black Judaism is Judaism that is predominantly practiced by African communities, both within the African Continent and outside Africa (such as North America). It is theologically characterized by the selective acceptance of the Judaic faith (in some cases such selective acceptance has historical circumstances), and that the belief system of Black Judaism is significantly different from the mainstream sects of Judaism. In addition, although Black Judaic communities adopt Judaic practices such as Jewish holidays and Jewish prayers, they are generally not recognized by the mainstream Jewish societies as legitimately Jewish.

Significant examples of Black Judaism include Judaism as practiced by Ethiopian Jews and Black Hebrew Israelite societies in North America.

Examples of Black Judaism

Ethiopian Judaism

Ethiopian Judaism is a branch of Judaism practiced by Ethiopian Jews, which is mainly characterized by its partial acceptance of Talmudic laws. As what is essentially a "lost tribe", Ethiopian Jewish communities experienced a prolong period of separation from the mainstream Jewish societies, resulting in such partial acceptance.

The first recorded contact between the mainstream Jewish world and the Ethiopian Jews dates back to the 9th century, when Jewish merchant and traveler Eldad ha-Dani sojourned 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, the Halachic scholars in the mainstream Jewish societies dismissed the reliability of such account, resulting in the lack of further researches about or further contact with the Ethiopian Jews.

The long-term isolation from the mainstream Jewish society resulted in the inconsistency between the Ethiopian version of Judaism and the mainstream versions of Judaism, which is manifested in the Ethiopian Judaism's departure from many Talmudic laws. The laws regarding marriage and divorce, for example, were not strictly observed as represented in reports written by contemporary Israeli Jewish religious authorities when they were debating over the eligibility of Ethiopian Jews as practitioners of the Judaic faith prior to accepting Ethiopian Jewish Immigrants. In addition, the Ethiopian Jews' observation of the Jewish Sabbath, the adherence of dietary laws and the celebration of holidays are all slightly different compared to those of Orthodox Jews.

North American Black Judaism

North American Black Judaism is a branch of Black Judaism originated as a product of the Black Hebrew Israelite nationalist movement emerged 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 members of the Jewish community. Along with adopting the new Identity, the "Hebrew Israelite" communities adopted 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.

References

1. Landing, James E., Black Judaism: Story of An American Movement.
2. Ribner, David S. and Ruben Schindler, The Crisis of Religious Identity Among Ethiopian Immigrants in Israel, Journal of Black Studies, Vol. 27, No. 1 (Sep., 1996), pp. 104–117.
3. Kay, Andre E., Toward a Typology of Black Hebrew Religious Thought and Practice, Journal of Africana Religions , Vol. 2, No. 1 (2014), pp. 31–66.