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World Jewry and Tradition
The Jews of Yemen:
A Brief History:
The Jewish culture that developed in Yemen is very different from any other Jewish
community in the world. In the early part of Jewish settlement, the Jewish presence in
Yemen was very strong. The Muslim conquest of the 7th century changed Jewry in this area
forever. Jews went from being equal to 2nd class citizens. They did not have much contact
with other Jewish communities. Over the years their culture took on similarities to Arab
culture.
Today there is a small Jewish population left in Yemen. They have adopted Western styles in dress and crafts. The only
time you see truly traditional clothing and jewelry is at weddings.
Yemenite Culture and Tradition:
Yemen was different culturally from the rest of the Muslim world, and so was the Jewish community. The rulers in
Yemen tried to isolate their country. This also isolated the Jews from other Jewish communities. Therefore their culture
went in a different direction from the rest of Sephardi Jewry. Jewish Yemenite clothing and dwellings developed to be
plainer versions of their Muslim neighbors.
Jewish brides stood out among all other women. All Muslim restrictions on Jewish dress were lifted which resulted in
Jewish brides dressing very similarly to Muslim brides. The bride wore a lot of gold jewelry and a very heavy, ornate
headdress. Her hands were decorated with henna and she held rue branches in her hand to ward off the evil eye.
The synagogues in Yemen had to be lower in height then the lowest mosque in the area. People sat on the floor instead
of chairs. They did this so that they could maximize the small space and also because Muslims pray on the floor.
The Jews of Morocco:
A Brief History:
Moroccan Jews constitute an ancient community, immigrating to the region as early
as 70 CE. Until the 1950s the majority of Morocco's Jews were still living in Morocco.
After Israel's independence in 1948, and due to domestic strife in the 1950s, the next
several decades saw waves of Jewish emigration to Israel, France and Canada. It is
estimated that 5,500 Jews still lived in Morocco, mainly in Casablanca. Other towns
are said to have smaller, aging populations.
Moroccan Culture and Tradition:
Moroccan Jewry has developed as a hybrid of the many cultures that have shaped Morocco itself, namely Jewish,
French, Spanish, Arab and Berber. Traditional Henna parties usually take place within the week before a special
occasion, such as a wedding, Bar/Bat Mitzvah, or baby showers. Although most Moroccan Jews tend to dress in styles of
their adopted countries, traditional Moroccan clothing is sometimes worn during or even during more intimate
gatherings, such as Shabbat dinner. Packets of salt are distributed to congregants on the second night of Passover,
marking the first counting of the Omer. The significance of salt includes the commemoration of the sacrifices in the
Temple and other Kabbalistic reasons.
The Jews of Ethiopia:
A Brief History:
For centuries, the world Jewish community was not even aware of the existence of
the Jewish community of Ethiopia. They called themselves Beta Israel—the house of
Israel—and used the Torah to guide their prayers and memories of the heights of
Jerusalem as they lived in their thatched huts in Ethiopia. The first modern contact
with the now oppressed community came in 1769, when Scottish explorer James
Bruce stumbled upon them while searching for the source of the Nile River. His
estimates at the time placed the Beta Israel population at 100,000, already greatly decreased from an estimate from
centuries before of a half-million. Since the 1970’s about 36,000 Ethiopian Jews have immigrated to Israel to escape
oppression. Because much of the Beta Israel's history is passed orally from generation to generation, we may never truly
know their origins.
Ethiopian Culture and Tradition:
The Beta Israel have a unique holiday, known as Sigd on the 29th of Cheshvan. Sigd celebrates the giving of the Torah
and the return from exile in Babylonia to Jerusalem under Ezra and Nehemiah. In Ethiopia, the Sigd was celebrated on
hilltops outside villages. The elders of the community drew a parallel between the ritual mountain and Mount Sinai.
Ethiopian Jews were forbidden to eat the food of non-Jews. Beta Israel who broke this rule were ostracized and had to
undergo a purification process. Purification included fasting for one or more days and ritual purification before entering
the village.
The Jews of India:
A Brief History:
India has a legacy of three distinct ancient Jewish groups: the Bene Israel, the Cochin
Jews, also called the Malabar Jews, and the White Jews from Europe. Each group
practiced important elements of Judaism and had active synagogues. The betterestablished ancient communities have assimilated a large number of local traditions
through cultural diffusion. The Jewish population in India is hard to estimate since each
Jewish community is distinct with different origins. Unlike many parts of the world,
Jews have historically lived in India without any instances of Anti-Semitism from the local majority populace.
Indian Culture and Tradition:
The Bene Israels of India have a few Jewish customs almost unique only to them. The community members almost in
every thanksgiving ceremony maintain a ritual called ‘Malida’. Malida is a home ritual in which the men sit around a
plate full of roasted rice, fruits, spices and flowers. In this ceremony they sing songs praising the Lord. Another custom
unique to the Bene Israel was abstaining from eating beef. The majority of Indians are Hindus. The Hindus believe that
cow is sacred and therefore to maintain good relations with their Hindu neighbors they abstained from eating beef and
instead eat mutton. Another custom of the Bene Israel inspired by their Hindu neighbors was, not remarrying of widows
and not maintaining the levirate marriage (a Jewish custom which commands marriage between the widow and her
dead husband’s brother if the man dies childless). The Bene Israels were also less strict about the Kosher laws. They
didn’t keep two complete sets of kitchen utensils but only two sets of cooking utensils.
The Jews of Bulgaria:
A Brief History:
The history of the Jews in Bulgaria dates to at least as early as the 2nd century CE.
Since then, the Jews have had a continuous presence in the Bulgarian lands and have
played an often considerable part in the history of Bulgaria from ancient times
through the Middle Ages until today. During World War II, Unlike some other Nazi
Germany allies or German-occupied countries, Bulgaria managed to save its entire
48,000-strong Jewish population from deportation to concentration camps.
Jews make up only 3,000 of the capital’s 1.2 million inhabitants. The organized religious life of the community has
steadily declined, and there are no recognized rabbis to provide leadership or religious schools to perpetuate Jewish
education. The Bulgarian government looks with disfavor on ties with other Jewish communities, but the remnant of
Bulgarian Jews lives free from persecution.
Bulgarian Culture and Tradition:
There is a high intermarriage rate but children of mixed marriages come back to Judaism. Among the Jewish activities is
the Hebrew and English elementary school. There is also a "summer camp on Sunday" for children, BBYO, Hashomer
Hatza'ir, leadership training for teenagers, a cafe and cinema club for college students, and welfare and activities for the
elderly.
For the holiday of Tu’Beshvat, the birthday of the trees, it is an old tradition in Bulgaria to exchange cards expressing
love, like those on Valentine ’s Day.