Posted on 06/05/2004 12:13:36 AM PDT by rdb3
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CHICAGO, June 4 (UPI) -- Growing numbers in a congregation of black Jews in Chicago has necessitated a move to a bigger synagogue, once a safe house for Martin Luther King Jr.
Rabbi Capers Funnye leads Beth Shalom B'nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation, which this weekend moves from a 1902 synagogue to the larger facility, the Chicago Tribune said.
Beth Shalom B'nai Zaken traces its lineage to a congregation founded in 1915. The flock is mostly African-American, though there also are two white families, blacks from the Caribbean and a Russian whose father was a black American.
The group has grown from 55 families to 70 in recent years.
"We fully expect over the next 20 years for the face of Judaism (in the United States) to change dramatically from largely a white, Eastern or Central European group to include many more Asians, Latinos and blacks," said Gary Tobin, president of the San Francisco-based Institute for Jewish & Community Research.
James Landing, a professor emeritus at the University of Illinois at Chicago who has studied black Judaism, says their numbers probably do not exceed 10,000.
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Hmm... Well, uh, that's something. Not that there's anything wrong with that. </Seinfeld> I'd much rather see this than more converts to Islam.
James Landing, a professor emeritus at the University of Illinois at Chicago who has studied black Judaism, says their numbers probably do not exceed 10,000.
Yes, but you can't say that they don't exist. This is nothing new.
Also, what is "black Judaism"? Judaism is Judaism, right?
THREE the hard way
There is a certain degree of tribalism within Judaism... Askenashic (European Jews), Sephardic (Middle Eastern Jews)... so "black Jews" could be another one of these 'tribes'... Certainly, one of the 12 original tribes is believed to have settled in Africa.
Ping!
THREE the hard way
I'm one of those converts. Unlike other black Jews I have met, I didn't convert due to marriage, but because I studied Judaism and found it worked as a belief system for me. My late husband did not convert, but would attend temple events with me and our son, who converted with me.
I used to be Catholic and have 12 years of Catholic school. Some of that training dies hard (there are times when I want to cross my self and the urge for a ham during Passover (Easter) can be overwhelming), but usually I manage to act like a good Jew and avoid these things. : )
I don't know what 'black Judaism' is. Perhaps it is a poorly phrased way of referring to black people who convert to Judaism.
You're right...better Judaism that islam.
Judaism builds...islam destroys.
You are so bad. ;-)
THREE the hard way
It has been known for decades that there have been black Jews - the Jews of Ethiopia, now almost completely resettled in Israel. Communities of Indian Jews also exist, and I seem to recall hearing about Chinese Jews, but couldn't give you a cite for the life of me.
The Ashkenazi/Sephardic split has to do with geography, not tribalism. To make a long story short and probably oversimplified, Sephardic Jews are the Jews who remained in the Middle East and who were expelled from Spain. Sephardic Judaism was thus isolated from Ashkenazi Judaism, and never underwent the reformations and counterreformations that led to the Orthodox/Reform/Conservative/Reconstructionist divisions.
I've probably butchered this explanation - several freepers could give you a better synopsis.
Who loves ya baby?
THREE the hard way
Ping!
There are black Jews. There are Jews who dress in black. For all I know there are black Jews who dress in black. There is no such thing as black Judaism.
The first of many. :)
I had no idea those little red x's were Jewish. ;-)
Okay. Try this one, then. :)
I knew who you meant - it's late, and I'm feeling goofy. See you later - Shabbat shalom!
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