Adv. Yaakov Gonchell Teaches Ono Beit Midrash About Ancient Ethiopian Jewish Work Explaining the Laws of Shabbat
The 9th meeting of the Beit Midrash for the Study of Ethiopian Jewish Religious Texts at Ono Academic College, featured a lecture on the subject of “Taaza Senbet – Between the Material and the Spirit”, given by Adv. Yaakov Gonchell, a scholar of Ethiopian texts who works in Israel’s State Comptroller’s Office. He told the group that Ethiopian Jewry’s point of departure was the destruction of the first Temple in Jerusalem. Beta Israel needed to find other rituals to fill their spiritual lives when they were separated from the Temple. Gonchell noted that, similarly, Rabbinic Judaism needed to create new structures to find meaning after the destruction of the Second Temple. During the break, the participants were treated to an Ethiopian Jewish feast provided by Beit Midrash participant, Fanta Freda. In the second half of the session, Gonchell taught fascinating chapters from the book Taaza Senbet, which summarizes the laws of Beta Israel Sabbath observance. Gonchell made the point a number of times that our practice, both relating to Shabbat, and all other commandments, is not connected to what is written in the Bible. It is guided by the traditions that were handed down by our forebearers.
