Kiryat Gat Plans Free November 3 Sigd Celebration

Kiryat Gat will hold a free Sigd celebration at Eshkol Hapayis on Tuesday, November 3, beginning at 17:00. The newly reported program lists singer Ester Rada and broadcaster Almaz Mengistu among the participants. Ethiopian folk music, traditional food and a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony are also included in the program. Sigd is an Ethiopian Jewish holiday observed on 29 Heshvan, 50 days after Yom Kippur. The Education Ministry’s explanation describes its meaning as “renewing the covenant between the people and God.” The holiday recalls Mount Sinai and acceptance of the Torah, alongside the community’s longing for Jerusalem. The ministry links Sigd’s traditions to the biblical assembly led by Ezra and Nehemiah during the return to Zion. Traditional observance includes fasting and prayers led by kesim, the community’s religious leaders, followed by a communal festive meal. A hilltop ceremony symbolizes Mount Sinai, with the congregation repeating words read by the kesim. In Israel, a customary Sigd ceremony takes place on Jerusalem’s Armon Hanatziv promenade, overlooking the Temple Mount. The Knesset recognized Sigd as an official holiday and an optional leave day in 2008. Kiryat Gat’s November 3 program is a separate local celebration, with free admission at Eshkol Hapayis.