Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 4.3bsd-beta 6/6/85; site topaz.RUTGERS.EDU Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!caip!topaz!steinber From: steinber@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU (Louis Steinberg) Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish Subject: Re: A query to "Dvar Torah" Message-ID: <4157@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU> Date: Mon, 4-Nov-85 16:20:24 EST Article-I.D.: topaz.4157 Posted: Mon Nov 4 16:20:24 1985 Date-Received: Tue, 5-Nov-85 07:28:55 EST References: <1201@sphinx.UUCP> <11100014@hpcvrd.UUCP> Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J. Lines: 25 > Dave Rabinowitz hplabs!hp-pcd!daver: > This is the basis of one of the principal objections to the Falashas being > Jewish. They had been cut off from the "mainstream"(s) of Judaism for many > centuries and thus were unaware of the various aspects of "oral" law which > have developed since Actually, this is not true. Questions about their Jewishness are NOT based on the form of Judaism they practice. As far as I know, the situation is the following: the official rabbinate holds that there is enough probablility that the Falashas are Jews that they strongly support efforts to bring them to Israel (even to the extent of violating Shabbat if needed to do so). However, there has been so much turmoil and disruption in that part of the world (Ethiopia) that for any given person who claims to be a Jew there is some residual doubt as to whether he really is, or is just someone who got mixed up with the Jews without benefit of conversion (or someone whose ancestor in the female line was such a person). Thus, they have been requiring a dip in the mikveh to remove all such doubt. I have read reports of a compromise whereby the rabbinate has agreed to accept an investigation into the background of an individual, carried out by Ethiopian leaders, instead of the mikveh. Of course, none of the above should be regarded as a "psak halacha". See your local halachik authority before you take any action that depends these issues.