African Hebrew Jews off Jerusalem

The in African Hebrew Jews off Jerusalem (Hebrew: He כושיםעבריים ), or in African Hebrew Jew Nation off Jerusalem or in Original Hebrew Jew Nation , or in Kingdom off Yah (Kingdom of God), often known wrongly under the generic name of in [[Black hebrews]] (Hebrew blacks) is a religious community of origin Afro-américain E, whose principal center is with Dimona, in the south of Israel in the desert of the Negev.

Created in the Years 1960 by a metal-worker of Chicago, Ben Casing, the organization is integrated in a whole of American movements appeared at the end of the 19th century and collectively qualified Black Hebrews (Hebrew blacks) or of Black Hebrews Israelites . These movements consider all that the current blacks go down from old the Israélites of the Bible, and reject the Christianisme with the profit of a religion based on the Old will, and more or less near to the traditional Judaïsme according to the groups. The majority of the organizations Black Hebrews can be regarded as adhering to the ideology known as black Nationalisme. In addition to these ideas, communes with the other groups, the Original Hebrew Israelite Nation has specific beliefs and practices, like the emigration towards Israel, a food mode Végétalien, and the authorization of the Polygamie.

Some: 2500 members of the group live today in Israel, several thousands of others live with the the United States, and a few tens live in England or Africa. The organization remains discussed and is regarded by certain as a sect dangerous, when others see it like a peaceful religious community and integrated socially well. Beyond these polemics, the State of Israel, after one very tended period, agreed to give to black Hebrew Dimona an official statute, and the relations became rather good, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs making even a rather positive presentation of the group.

One should not confuse the African Hebrews Jews with the Béta Israel (Jewish Ethiopian), of which some also live in Dimona.

History

Origins

Foundation

The group is founded with Chicago by Ben Carter, a former metal-worker who proclaims to have had a vision in 1966. The Archangel Gabriel would have revealed that the American blacks were the descendants of the Jews of the Tribu of Juda, driven out Holy Land to him by the Romans during the First war of the Jews (70 of the Christian era), and who would have emigrated in West Africa before being taken along like slaves to the the United States.

According to Ben Casing, “a voice indicated to me that time had come for the Africans to America, the descendants of the biblical Jews, to turn over on the ground of our ancestors”.

Installation in Israel

Casing and a few hundreds the faithful ones settle initially with the Liberia, country rested by former slaves Afro-Americans, in May 1967. In front of the difficulties of living in such a poor country, certain members of the group set out again with the the United States, and others immigrate gradually in Israel as from 1969, refusing the benefit of the to them Loi of the Return. They settle in spite of very with Dimona in the Negev, where they create the district of Kfar Hashalom (the “village of peace”) in 1971. Kfar Hashalom was installed in a center of absorption built in the Années 1950 for the integration of the new Jewish immigrants of Russia. Ben Carter takes the name of Ben Ammi Ben-Israel (“wire of my people wire of Israel”). Until 1972, the State of Israel grants to the community a statute temporary residents with work permit. In front of the increase in emigration, however, these licenses are revoked indicates that the musicians of the community helped this one: “all the money that we gained thanks to our music, we put it in pools of the community, because nobody obtained work, and that it was difficult for us at that time to earn money”.

In addition to these problems of standard of living and legal status, the “absence of Israeli citizenship poses a problem with the children of the third generation, who without being American are not therefore Israeli, and are thus found without nationality”. A policy of harassing to discourage the maintenance in Israel is preferred.

On their side, the African Hebrews Jews try to be made accept by the State of Israel. Thus, from the musicians of the group distract the Israeli troops during the Guerre from Kippour from 1973”. “In 1986, a group of 50 people is stopped, and 37 are expelled, bearing with its apogee the difficult relation between the Black Hebrews and the State Jewish”.

In this climate perpetually tended, several polemics oppose the group to the State. A Israeli Prime Minister is compared with Adolf Hitler”.

Authorization of residence

During Years 1980, the relations improve gradually. It seems that the will to solve a problem which perdurait, as well as the will of the State to escape the recurring charge from racism” (extreme Is Negev). In 1989, “the Minister of Interior Department met Ben Ammi.

The music has a certain role in the recognition of the group, whose musicians often play in Israel. The participation of Eddie Butler in the Concours Eurovision of the song 1999 within the group Eden, which represents Israel, struck the spirits, but the musicians of the community often intervene in front of the public ones varied, contributing to sit an positive image. The Associated Press thus could write in 2006 “after being marginalized during almost four decades, the things change finally for the community, mainly thanks to the music of people like Butler, followed by several tens of boys and girls. The direction of Tsahal agreed to envisage rations complying with the food regulations of the “ African Hebrew Israelites , like rather providing shoes out of fabric” than out of leather (this last being prohibited by their beliefs). A hundred young people are useful in the army in 2006.

For the permanent residents who do not profit from the Loi of the return, the Israeli law authorizes the request of the citizenship after 4 years under this statute, the attribution of the citizenship remaining to the appreciation of the authorities. As from August 2007, the members of the community indicated that they would deposit such individual requests: “" We do not see any obstacle, and I hope well to be the first to deposit my " candidature; , the spokesperson Mildred Howard affirms”. Their full number apart from Israel (especially with the the United States, in practice) is unknown. Certain estimates are very high, until: 30,000 in the whole world”. The spectacular improvement of the relations with Israel, combined of the United States, seems to explain this best perception at least partly.

The development by the group through the USA of its Drunk network of restaurants vegetarians vegetarian , and of its small network of shops Afrika also takes part of this increasing respectability.

Reserves however always exist with the the United States, where the press even justice blamed several times the worship. Thus, at the time of the lawsuit in 2005 of the parents of a baby deceased in Florida, this death was presented like rising from strict the mode végétalien of the family, both supposed members of the African Hebrew Israelites . In front of the extent of the polemic, the “Minister for the divine health” of the group made a point of specifying “there are the many African-American communities which recall their line until the biblical Jews. But they are not necessarily associated. Our community is specifically the African Hebrew Israelites off Jerusalem , or the Kingdom off Yah . We do not have any affiliation with this family, nor naps informed of their particular dietetic rule”, before detailing the food mode of the children of the community. The Rick A. Ross Institute , an organization dedicated to the “study of the destroying worships” constituted on the African Hebrews Jews a consultable file on Internet.

The group has also a small antenna in England, which counted according to an estimate of 2003 15 to 20 members. In 2003, its person in charge is made call Yehoeshafaht. The group there preaches within the black community its lifestyle and its religion, as well as the emigration towards Israel, and caused several negative articles on behalf of the British press, in particular The Voice of London. One of these articles show that the group continues to be perceived by certain like a sect potentially dangerous.

Practices and ideology

The African Hebrew Israelites are especially known for their claim to descend from old the Hebrew, like for their insistence on a healthy and natural life: Defense of the environment, biological Food, sports activities. But the organization has beliefs and practices going beyond these two fields.

Black nationalism

It acts at the base clearly of a group nationalist American black, but with time, the lesson somewhat evolved/moved. The group is primarily centered on the blacks (it is defined itself as “ African Hebrew Israelite ”), and one of the books writes by Ben Ammi Ben-Israel (Ben Carter) is called besides God the Black Man and Truth (God, the black man and the truth). Ethnic polarization is however not absolute, and the organization finally accepted some very rare white members”. This broad redefinition of the borders African and this reinterpretation of the Biblical story enables them to be proclaimed at the same time African and Israélite S. “This chart of Africa, a fundamental support of the identity of the black Hebrews, is shown in all the community on posters and like image framed in many houses”.

While insisting on certain specificities, the black Hebrews at the same time strongly affirm their African roots. “The women wear clothes to the bright colors of African style: the community imports fabrics of Africa”. Ben Ammi Ben-Israel took part besides in 1995 in the million man march .

In the beginning, according to a position rather frequent (but not absolute) at the various American organizations of Hebrew blacks, the Juifs were regarded as illegitimate imitateurs of old the Hebrew. “During the years 1970, '' African Hebrew Israelites '' proclaimed in booklets that they were the only legitimate heirs to the ground of Israel and that it thus formed part of their mission of being unaware of then to destroy the Jewish State. Since the end of the year 1980, the black Hebrews recognize that biblical Israel was a multiracial company whose, after the Destruction of the second temple into 70, the inhabitants are flee towards Europe and Asia, as well as towards Africa imposed by the owner of new the esclave.
The practice of the name change goes back at least with the Moorish Science Temple off America , to the beginning of the 20th century (which added the suffixes “el” or “bey”), and was popularized by the Nation of Islam, starting from the Années 1930, which encourages a name Musulman (for example Mohammed Ali), but sometimes also a African name or “X” symbolic system (Malcolm X is one of the most famous examples), expressing the unknown of the patronym of before the Esclavage. One finds also this practice among nonMoslem nationalists, who generally then adopt a name with African consonance (for example Stokely Carmichael become Kwame Toure).
For the Jewish nationalists (Zionist S), the name change, for the benefit of a Hebraic name, symbolizes the return on the ancestral ground of the former Hebrews, and the end of the exil.
In the case of the “African Hebrews Jews”, the adoption of Hebraic names mixes the two traditions: at the origin refusal of the old “name of slave”, but also, with the time and the important improvement of the relations with Israel, identification with a practice sioniste.
It is noted that the name change is not systematic, even if it is very widespread. The founder, Ben Casing, are designated today only under the name of Ben Ammi Ben-Israel, when the singer Eddie Butler (of its complete name Eddie Butler Ammiram Ben Yishay) seems very little to use the Hebraic part of his name.

In spite of this original black nationalism, the will of integration at the Israeli company is strong, and the military service is thus encouraged. If the former immigrants still practice the English, much made efforts to learn the Hebrew . The generation born in Israel is bilingual, speaking at the same time Hebrew and English. With the the United States, the training of the Hebrew is encouraged.

Community life

Most of the group in Israel lives in the Kibboutz of Kfar Hashalom , with Dimona, which is supported besides by the Movement Kibboutzique Unifié (TAKAM, the main confederation of Israeli Kibboutz)”, in accordance with the ideology “naturalist” of the African Hebrew Israelites . The Community lifestyle is privileged, even if certain members live more isolated in the Israeli cities.

The Endogamie is almost total: she is not only encouraged by the group, but de facto by the Israeli law, which gives the monopoly on the marriage of the Juifs to the orthodoxe Rabbin S. Those not recognizing the African Hebrew Israelites as Juifs refuse to marry them with Jews, which very strongly limits the capacity to be concluded from the marriages out of the group.

It was sometimes proposed to the members community to start an official process of conversion to the Judaïsme, but this proposal was firmly refused: the members of the community already regard as Hebrew undeniable. Some individuals seem however tried, as the singer Eddie Butler who follows a procedure of conversion (which can last several years).

“The Hebrews Jews have a structure of direction, with Ben Ammi installed with the head of a council of 12 “princes”, who supervise the spiritual development of the kibbutz. Twelve other “ministers”, or board of trustees of the community, regulate the daily businesses in the fields of the economy, education, the sports and the leisures, information and others. The priesthood of the community deals with the marriages, of the services of the Shabbat and the Circoncision of the male children the 8th day (according to the Hebraic law). But it is their factory of products végétaliens, containing tofu, which provides most of their incomes. This factory produces in particular milk and cheeses of Soja. The incomes being however thin, of many Hebrews work apart from the village, where they exert simple employment. Recently, they also received the authorization to develop their agriculture (biological), a long time awaited authorization which should enable them to develop prodigiously, the products of the Organic farming being snuffed more and more in Israel as in Occident”. The visit which returned Whitney Houston into 2003 to the black Hebrews of Dimona caused besides a media renewed interest for the community.

The community is known enough for its troop of Ballet, which occurs regularly in international festivals and their center of Dimona. The community has also a certain number of musicians of good reputation, of which the singer Eddie Butler, who represented Israel with the Concours Eurovision of the song 1999 within the group Eden, then only with the contest 2006. It is within this framework that was installation a production company, Royal Kingdom Productions , which distributes and produces the artists of the community.

Lastly, community of Dimona to stores to sell its productions, as well as a museum, the African Edenic Heritage Museum , where it presents its vision of the history of the Hebrew and the Africans.

It should be noted that the “African Hebrews Jews” also have companies in the United States. One can read there a tradition established rather well in the nationalist mediums Afro-Americans, where insistence on the economic car-organization of the black community (through “black” companies) is encouraged since at least the Nation off Islam of the years 1930, which had done one of its objectives of them.

The companies created are well established with Atlanta, with small structures, like the bookstore Wisdom Hut (hut of wisdom), the Center for Multimedia Education (center of multi-media education), two restaurants vegetarians Soul Vegetarian (the heart vegetarian), or the shop Afrika . One finds also restaurants vegetarians of the chain Soul Vegetarian , which belongs to the group, Charleston, Saint-Louis, Chicago, Holy Cross, Tallahassee, Washington. One finds finally various small companies, like fruit juice shops with Chicago or Washington, shops Afrika or health centres”. To compensate for the lack of Vitamin B12 (present in the meat), of the Brewers' yeast, which is rich, is built-in their food mode. The community prohibits also the consumption of alcohol (except for a little of Vin which they manufacture themselves.

Insistence on health and the prevention is extremely important in the teaching of the group. The Gymnastique is an quasi-obligation: “Ben Ammi Carter) recommends three weekly meetings of sport to us, at a rate of 45 minutes per meeting the practiced mode is composed of fruits, vegetables and leguminous plants, cereals complete only, brown sugar and Miel. Salt is discouraged since 1980”. The Messianic reference is strong (in the Bible, the oint of the lord is the Messie). Ben Ammi Ben-Israel is besides compared with Abraham, Moïse, Jérémie, and even with Jesus, and is the “messenger sent by God, without counting made up forms (as in Alléluia: “Rent Yah”). In spite of this relative scarcity in the biblical use, this term became dominating at the African Hebrew Israelites , undoubtedly by will of differentiation. This preferential use also finds at the Rastafari (under the Latin C-W communication Jah) perhaps, and is inspired some.

The community does not have a Rabbin, in accordance with his refusal of the Talmud, but of the priests, all of male sexes.

The African Hebrew Israelites of male sex carry the Kippa or a bonnet, the women carry a scarf hiding the hair, like the orthodoxe Jewish . On rather many photographs, one can notice that if the men have all (or almost) the covered head, a minority of women have the discovered hair, which indicates that this last regulation is applied in a way a little more flexible.

The “black Hebrews” accept and practice the Polygamie, with a maximum of seven women, but is prohibited by the State of Israel. The leader of the group, Ben Casing (Ben Ammi Ben-Israel), has itself 4 women and 13 children in Israel, and the families are generally numerous.

Biblical regulations fallen in disuses in the orthodoxe Judaïsme are respected, which brings closer the group besides to some practical Beta Israel (Jewish of Ethiopia) or Samaritaines. There are thus analytical rules of purity (prohibition of the sexual relations for the woman) 40 days after the birth of a boy, and 80 days after the birth of a girl.

Contrary, the regulations affirmed by the Talmud, but which do not appear in the Bible, are rejected like innovations. The festival of Pourim is not practiced either (although it refers to the Livre of Esther), but those of Pessah (Passover), Shavouot, Yom Kippour and Souccot is but definitely more marked to it in Talmud.

They have finally specific obligations, which come neither from the Bible, nor of the Jewish tradition. It goes from there thus from the obligation to wear only clothing and shoes out of natural matter (cotton, flax,…)

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