{"id":33692,"date":"2025-06-04T10:54:21","date_gmt":"2025-06-04T10:54:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ono.ac.il\/eng\/?post_type=news&p=33692"},"modified":"2025-06-04T10:58:00","modified_gmt":"2025-06-04T10:58:00","slug":"ono-ethiopian-scholar-profiled-in-shabbaton","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.ono.ac.il\/eng\/news\/ono-ethiopian-scholar-profiled-in-shabbaton\/","title":{"rendered":"Ono Ethiopian Scholar Profiled in \u201cShabbaton\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n
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Ono Ethiopian Scholar Profiled in \u201cShabbaton\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

In an interview with the magazine, \u201cShabbaton\u201d, Rabbi Dr. Sharon Shalom, the founder and director of Ono Academic College\u2019s International Center for Ethiopian Jewry, shares his journey from a childhood in an isolated Ethiopian village to spiritual leadership in Israel. He highlights the evolving acceptance of the Ethiopian Jewish community, differences between their biblical customs and rabbinic law, and the controversy surrounding his book \u201cFrom Sinai to Ethiopia.\u201d Shalom discusses the unrecognized status of the Keisim (traditional Ethiopian Jewish spiritual leaders), founding the International Center for the Study of Ethiopian Jewry at Ono Academic College, and reconciliation efforts within the community. On Jerusalem Day, he calls for humility and unity, urging Israel to embrace its diverse heritage and resolve issues like that of the Jews who remain in Ethiopia.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Below is a translation of the article.\u00a0 The full article can be read in Hebrew at: https:\/\/shabaton1.co.il\/?p=41366<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Between Addis Ababa and Jerusalem: An Interview with Rabbi Dr. Sharon Shalom<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Director of the International Center for the Study of Ethiopian Jewry at Ono Academic College

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In an in-depth interview, Rabbi Sharon (Zeude) Shalom, PhD in Philosophy, Rabbi of the “Kedoshei Yisrael” community in Kiryat Gat, and Director of the International Center for the Study of Ethiopian Jewry at Ono Academic College, reveals his captivating life story\u2014from his childhood in Ethiopia to his spiritual leadership in Israel. He describes the positive shift in societal attitudes toward the Ethiopian community (though there\u2019s still a way to go), unique differences between community customs and rabbinic law, and the harsh reactions he faced upon publishing his book. Plus: What does he wish for the nation on Jerusalem Day?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Childhood in Ethiopia<\/strong><\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

My childhood in a small village in northern Ethiopia was enchanting, a kind of disconnected world. It felt as if there was no world beyond the few villages I knew. Truly, life was like in the biblical verse, \u201cYou shall be simple with the Lord your God.\u201d The realization that the only world you know is your village and its surroundings wasn\u2019t a disadvantage; today, I understand it was a great advantage. When a person lives with the consciousness that their small village is their entire world, it\u2019s a mindset of peaceful, tranquil, and even innocent living.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Our village was exclusively \u201cIsraelite\u201d (the word \u201cJewish\u201d wasn\u2019t used). Judaism was evident everywhere: in the synagogue at the village center, at the house for menstruating women or those ritually impure, down by the river. On Shabbat, no one worked; everyone sat in shared family courtyards and didn\u2019t leave the village boundaries. We only went to the synagogue (\u201cmasgid\u201d or \u201ctzolot beit\u201d). I thought then that if I walked straight to the end of the world, I\u2019d touch the sky, believing the sky and earth connected somewhere at the edge. One thing was clear: there was a place called \u201cYerusalem\u201d (Jerusalem). Everyone spoke of it. Jerusalem was a dream, a hope\u2014a place wrapped in gold, flowing with milk, truly a Garden of Eden. This hope was passed down through generations. Some fasted nine days to commemorate the destruction of the First Temple, and in Av, a 17-day fast from the start of the month to the 17th. During prayers, they always faced Jerusalem. Even when slaughtering an animal, its head was turned toward Jerusalem. The Sigd holiday entirely expresses this longing, but mainly the renewal of the covenant. Most surprising: while the Jewish world prays to ascend to Jerusalem, Ethiopian Jews prayed to descend to Jerusalem. Once, my friend Maspin, a brave and clever boy, and I ran away from the village without telling our parents to get to Jerusalem. We were only 7 and 9 years old. Today, I can\u2019t believe we did it. You can only imagine the yearning and passion.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Studies in Ethiopia<\/strong><\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The Mishnah in Avot says: \u201cAt five for (the study of) Scripture, at ten for (the study of) Mishnah\u2026\u201d But in Ethiopia, it was different. I studied only one year in school, and then we were forbidden to learn. I was a young child, not yet a shepherd, only a \u201cdeputy shepherd.\u201d There wasn\u2019t a culture of formal education like there is today. There were no study halls for children. Historically, only small groups dedicated themselves to Torah study, not the masses. In Ethiopia, as elsewhere, only a few engaged in sacred studies, usually to prepare for spiritual roles. Tradition wasn\u2019t passed through classrooms and books but through personal example from the home: behavior, tradition, and the way of life from those around the village and household. The tradition seeped into the heart like quiet waters. It\u2019s unforgettable. To this day, I remember my grandfather finishing the Book of Psalms, \u201cMizmorei David,\u201d in the early morning hours.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Transition to a Hesder Yeshiva<\/strong><\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

When thinking of gaps, we imagine a hierarchy\u2014what\u2019s above and what\u2019s below. But the encounter between Ethiopian Jewry and Israeli society was, in my view, a \u201chistorical accident\u201d\u2014a meeting of two consciousnesses, two models of Judaism: the biblical and the halachic-Talmudic. Ethiopian Jewry preserved the biblical tradition with devotion, and the mental, cultural, and linguistic gaps were profound.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

After arriving in Israel, which is a story unto itself, I studied in religious boarding schools before the higher level yeshiva and received much warmth and love. But entering a hesder yeshiva was a different story, a different world: depth, scope, pace of study, and especially if you choose the path to rabbinic ordination.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The first step is acknowledging the gap, understanding there\u2019s a path to bridge it. It\u2019s tough, but it also pushes you to work twice as hard. What helped me? Rabbis and friends who embraced and supported me. The head of the kollel at Yeshivat Har Etzion, Rabbi Shlomo Levi, may he live long, once told me: \u201cInvest in study, dive deep. When you become a rabbi, your influence will be significant.\u201d I remember my father asking me in my first year: \u201cWhat are you studying?\u201d I answered, \u201cTorah.\u201d In the second year: \u201cAnd now?\u201d Again, \u201cTorah.\u201d By the third year, he asked in surprise: \u201cWhat about math?\u201d Unlike my father, who didn\u2019t quite understand what I was doing in yeshiva, my late mother understood and always gave me encouragement, love, and support.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Absorption Challenges<\/strong><\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

It\u2019s clear that the absorption of Ethiopian Jews came with difficulties. Israeli society, like any society, has good and bad. You can see its amazing sides and its painful ones. The gaps were immense\u2014cultural, religious, linguistic. Yet, 40 years after the Ethiopian Aliyah began, the Ethiopian community has become an integral part of the Israeli fabric. Many have broken glass ceilings, integrated, and led. It\u2019s impressive and testifies to the community\u2019s inner strength, faith, and perseverance. Someone once told me that Israeli society doesn\u2019t discriminate\u2014it just \u201cchallenges\u201d everyone. Yemenite, Moroccan, Soviet immigrants\u2014all faced hardships. A Yemenite PhD once told me in pain: \u201cHow can you speak so well of this country when they took our children?\u201d I replied with a smile: \u201cAt least they bought you. No one wanted to buy us\u2026\u201d The message? Don\u2019t be naive, but don\u2019t be cynical either. Understand that reality is complex, not black-and-white.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Have you noticed a change in societal attitudes toward the community in recent years?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Absolutely, we\u2019ve undergone an amazing process. Compared to decades ago, when, for example, Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch wrote that relations with a Black woman were against reason and morality, today 18% of Ethiopian-origin marriages are with other communities. In the U.S., for comparison, the rate of Black-White marriages is only 6%. This says something about Israeli society. True, the starting point was very tough. A Jewish tribe, a splendid community, had its Jewishness denied, its Aliyah delayed for various reasons\u2014sometimes against Halacha\u2014and some rabbis and scholars opposed its integration as equals, which is unthinkable. Often, fear trumped love. \u201cPure\u201d halachic considerations were distorted, and instead of a simple solution for dealing with the Jewishness issue, like immersing in the mikva, people were subjected to humiliating processes. Yet, the community chose life, like Holocaust survivors\u2014not to dwell on the past but to push their children toward success and a better future.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Israeli society has also changed, beginning to discover the depth, beauty, and treasures of Ethiopian Jewry. Prof. Yigal Yadin said after the Six-Day War, when asked in Europe why Arabs opposed Jerusalem excavations: \u201cBecause the deeper you dig, the more you uncover Jerusalem\u2019s Jewishness.\u201d Ethiopian Jewry is like Jerusalem: to understand it, you must dig deep. Then you discover its strength and biblical roots.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

You married a woman from Switzerland. Tell us about your meeting.<\/strong><\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

When we were preparing our marriage, my wife told the clerk at the Ministry that she immigrated from Switzerland. He asked, \u201cWhy did you come to Israel?\u201d She replied simply, \u201cBecause we\u2019re Zionist Jews.\u201d Amazed, he said, \u201cI wouldn\u2019t have done it in your place\u2026\u201d When he got to me, he said, \u201cYou, I understand. Moving from Ethiopia to Israel makes sense.\u201d He meant that Aliyah from Ethiopia was an escape from exile, but from Europe? That\u2019s a sacrifice. Here, too, the driving force was love\u2014love for Zion, Israel, and faith. This principle applies to our society. We must base our connections on love, not fear.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

When the \u201cKedoshei Yisrael\u201d synagogue committee, founded by Holocaust survivors, decided to appoint me as rabbi, a journalist asked them: \u201cHow did you accept an Ethiopian rabbi?\u201d They replied: \u201cWe were in the Holocaust, suffered selection for being Jews. How could we reject someone for their skin color? We don\u2019t seek color; we seek knowledge. We don\u2019t know an Ethiopian; we know Rabbi Sharon.\u201d When you know the person, barriers fall. That\u2019s how we act at home\u2014and how we\u2019d like the entire nation to act.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

What is the Rabbinate\u2019s attitude toward the Kessim (Ethiopian spiritual leaders)? And how do community members in Israel view them?<\/strong><\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

I\u2019ve sadly heard harsh statements from yeshiva students, including those of Ethiopian descent and Haredim, against the Kessim: \u201cHeretics,\u201d \u201cillegitimate.\u201d I was at a wedding where a Keis was blessing the couple under the chuppah, and one of the guests asked, in shock: \u201cHow does this happen?\u201d If such remarks come from within our own community, what will others say? The Rabbinate, it must be said, has never recognized the Kessim\u2019s halachic status. The only recognition was a government decision, not from the Rabbinate. Still, in most cases, they\u2019re treated as folklore, not spiritual leaders, which is unfortunate. The Kessim represent an ancient Jewish tradition that can greatly contribute to Israeli society. We\u2019re not asking for favors; we\u2019re offering a gift: a living tradition from the biblical world, preserved for centuries. The Rabbinate doesn\u2019t \u201caccept\u201d; it can learn. We\u2019re a \u201cliving genizah [storehouse for ancient holy books],\u201d offering to restore spiritual worlds. We\u2019re not alone in this. I learn much from Prof. Tova Hartman, noting significant parallels between attitudes toward gender issues and the Rabbinate\u2019s stance on the Kessim. In both cases, it\u2019s about power dynamics, exclusion, and inequality disguised as halachic stances but rooted in deep social biases. Often, what\u2019s permitted for one group is forbidden for another, revealing hypocrisy and a lack of integrity.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

What are the differences between community customs and rabbinic law, and what\u2019s your stance?<\/strong><\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The debate between the rabbinic world and the world of the Keisim world isn\u2019t just a manifestation of racism. It\u2019s a clash between two belief systems: Talmudic and biblical. Each sees things differently: what the Rabbinate views as a severe violation is, for the Keisim, an accepted spiritual norm. Circumcision by women, delaying circumcision from Shabbat to Sunday, giving money on Shabbat as an offering, Kiddush on Yom Kippur that falls on Shabbat\u2014these are seen as halachic violations but are ancient laws for Ethiopian Jewry. More examples include: not waiting \u201cseven clean days\u201d after menstruation ceases (as required by Rabbinic Judaism) but instead immersion on the seventh day, a ban on visiting cemeteries (which is seen as idolatry), no prohibition on eating poultry with milk, a prohibition on marital relations on Shabbat. Clearly, there are gaps, and the question is how to bridge them. Unfortunately, the meeting between these worlds was judgmental, not one of dialog.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

To change this, we need mutual listening and understanding. I paid a heavy price when I published my book From Sinai to Ethiopia, despite working with rabbis within an Orthodox framework. It didn\u2019t help. The challenge isn\u2019t just halachic but social and political. How do we preserve uniqueness while living together? That\u2019s the question of our time.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

You head the International Center for the Study of Ethiopian Jewry at Ono Academic College. Is the community of interest to Israeli society (beyond just researchers)?<\/strong><\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

I currently am the director of the International Center for the Study of Ethiopian Jewry at Ono Academic College\u2014the world\u2019s first academic center dedicated to researching and teaching about Ethiopian Jewry. When I first proposed the idea at another institution, I was told: \u201cFirst prove they\u2019re Jews.\u201d But at Ono Academic College, it the concept was embraced with love, aligning with a multicultural and diverse academia.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Tell us about the March for Israel, this week in New York<\/strong><\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Today, I see how much Ethiopian Jewry sparks interest, not only in Israel but also in the Jewish diaspora. Together with Martin Hershkowitz (founder of the \u201cCreating Memory\u201d non-profit organization and the son of Holocaust survivors), we wrote a curriculum in English to teach about Ethiopian Jewry, that was recommended by renowned educator Dr. Haim Peri. The curriculum\u2019s author is Rabbi Johnny Solomon, and the ideas naturally stem from the work of Ono\u2019s Ethiopian Center. This program teaches Jewish students worldwide about Zionism, Aliyah, and Jewish identity through the story of Ethiopian Jewry. In Israel, too, there\u2019s a shift. Slowly, Israeli society is discovering Ethiopian Jewry not only in its religious and traditional aspects but also through culture and cuisine. The community and Israeli society are learning from and opening up to each other. Less struggle, more partnership. That\u2019s exactly what we aspire to: every sector in Israel seeing the treasure of the other. Each group brings a deep spiritual and cultural language, and if we \u201cread\u201d it correctly, we all benefit.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The International Center at Ono has also brought change to academia. It\u2019s not simple\u2014it\u2019s a shift in discourse, a paradigm change. No longer just a populist narrative but a deep, respectful academic dialogue. We\u2019ve established a Beit Midrash (study hall) for Ethiopian texts for the first time. Outstanding graduates sit, study, interpret, and pass on this language and culture to other groups and the next generation. Groundbreaking articles are being written. We believe this language, the language of Ethiopian Jewry, can bring great light to Israeli society.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

What are the relations between Bete Israel and Falash Mura?<\/strong><\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Clearly, the Ethiopian community isn\u2019t monolithic. Even within the community, there were always disagreements, even in Ethiopia, and certainly after Aliyah to Israel. There were disputes over accepting the Rabbinate, preserving local traditions, what to maintain, and what to change. Additionally, missionaries in Ethiopia influenced some groups to convert to Christianity, creating internal tension even before Aliyah. Two years ago, we launched an important reconciliation process at Ono\u2019s Ethiopian Center, guided by community leaders who conducted serious research and community work. The summary conference was moving: Keisim, Haredi rabbis, and a Religious Zionist Rabbi, all of Ethiopian heritage, stood together on one stage. This says it\u2019s possible. But for it to happen, internal responsibility is needed\u2014not blaming others but taking community responsibility. Today, thank God, there\u2019s a rapprochement between the groups. No longer \u201cBete Israel\u201d and \u201cFalash Mura,\u201d but Bete Israel, one family. It\u2019s moving and blessed, and we see that it\u2019s working when members of the groups marry each other. This is an amazing community\u2014an asset, not a burden, to Israeli society.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

What about the Jews remaining in Ethiopia?<\/strong><\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Recently, a U.S. school principal who visited the Gondar camp asked me: \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the state bring them up?\u201d They pray, there are split families, the situation is tough. It\u2019s a very painful story, not just from a Jewish perspective but a human one. The state can\u2019t leave people hanging. A decision is needed: either return them to their villages or bring them to Israel. The plan already exists, drafted with the \u201cP\u2019nima\u201d organization, and I was involved. It just needs implementation, and sadly, it\u2019s not happening. In my view, there\u2019s disregard for this group. Some should have immigrated long ago under the Law of Return but haven\u2019t. There\u2019s confusion, disorder, and indecision. It\u2019s time to resolve this story clearly and fairly.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Your book \u201cFrom Sinai to Ethiopia\u201d caused a storm. Tell us about it.<\/strong><\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

When I started writing the book, I didn\u2019t imagine the storm it would cause. Rabbi Prof. Daniel Sperber recognized its importance early on, so he pushed, guided, and personally funded it. The book reached senior rabbis\u2019 desks, including the Chief Rabbi, and faced bans, threats, and harsh phone calls, and I still feel the echoes today. But I now understand it was worth the price. If in the past no one knew the term \u201cEthiopian Halacha,\u201d today even those who opposed the book want to read it. Disagreement is legitimate, but there\u2019s a difference between substantive opposition and personal attacks. Sadly, some responses crossed all bounds of decency. It wasn\u2019t easy for me or my family. But to change consciousness, you need courage and patience. It\u2019s a process. The book, translated into English, is now in study halls worldwide\u2014from the U.S. to South America. It\u2019s slowly becoming part of the Jewish mosaic, which, in my view, is a tremendous achievement.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Jerusalem Day<\/strong><\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

I said earlier that Ethiopian Jews don\u2019t pray to \u201cascend\u201d to Jerusalem but rather to \u201cdescend\u201d to it. It\u2019s not a physical act but as a symbol of descending to the other\u2019s world, listening to them, looking at them eye-to-eye with closeness and humanity. Not to rise above but to meet them from a place of partnership and humility.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

In these days, we especially need this consciousness\u2014of modesty, listening, and seeing the other. Jerusalem, undivided among tribes, symbolizes unity, the idea that all Israel are friends. The State of Israel is a great light, a great miracle, and simply, a gift not to be taken for granted. Please, let\u2019s preserve it.<\/p>\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In an interview with the magazine, \u201cShabbaton\u201d, Rabbi Dr. Sharon Shalom, the founder and director of Ono Academic College\u2019s International Center for Ethiopian Jewry, shares his journey from a childhood in an isolated Ethiopian village to spiritual leadership in Israel. He highlights the evolving acceptance of the Ethiopian Jewish community, differences between their biblical customs and rabbinic law, and the controversy surrounding his book \u201cFrom Sinai to Ethiopia.\u201d Shalom discusses the unrecognized status of the Keisim (traditional Ethiopian Jewish spiritual leaders), founding the International Center for the Study of Ethiopian Jewry at Ono Academic College, and reconciliation efforts within the community.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":33693,"menu_order":44,"template":"","class_list":["post-33692","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","categories_news-updates_news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ono.ac.il\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/33692","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ono.ac.il\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ono.ac.il\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ono.ac.il\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ono.ac.il\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33693"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ono.ac.il\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33692"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}