Yediot Achronot’s Ynet published an article entitled, “The recognition of the Jewishness of Beta Israel” written by Rabbi Dr. Sharon Shalom, founder and director of the International Center for the Study of Ethiopian Jewry at Ono Academic College.
In the piece, Rabbi Shalom notes that Ethiopian Jews, or Bete Israel, have long faced debate over their Jewish status. While most have undergone symbolic conversions, and as such, are recognized as Jewish by both Israel’s Rabbinate and Chabad, misunderstandings abroad persist. However, Rabbi Shalom believes, these misunderstandings are driven by ignorance of halachic rulings, not racism.
Rabbi Shalom concludes with the advice that, “It would seem prudent to launch an information campaign to communicate these realities to all the faithful Chabad emissaries around the world, who work with such devotion to promote Torah Judaism. They should receive instruction to reach out to every Jew everywhere and remind them of Chabad’s practice of accepting Ethiopian Jews who have undergone symbolic conversion without any hesitation.”
The complete article can be read at: https://www.ynetnews.com/article/rkgrl11gqje
