Judiasm & Rastafarianism: A study of the Falashas Essay -- essays pape

Judiasm & Rastafarianism A direct of the FalashasIn this research paper I will discuss the ethnic groups of Africans in the Caribbean and Jews in Ethiopia. Jews in Ethiopia call themselves Beta Israel which means place of Israel. They are also known as the Falashas. Falasha means stranger or immigrant in the classical language of Ethiopia (the Geez tongue). I will also describe the acculturation of the African people displaced into the Caribbean who identify themselves as the Rastafarians and the connections I have do among them and Judaism. I believe that these connections between Judaism and Rastafarianism are more than reasonable similarities that can be found between any two Bible- future(a) religions. I choose the Falashas as the topic for personal, religious and spiritual reasons. I was born into a Jewish household, rich in the traditions and customs of my Hebrew ancestors. I grew up however in the Caribbean, home of the unique floriculture known as the Rastafari. Thr oughout my life I have matt-up a deep connection between Judaism and Rastafarianism. In this paper I seek the origins and history of the connection that I feel in my heart. I believe that the Falashas are the bridge between these two cultures.The connection of the Rastas to Ethiopia is a deep and mystical one. It would take hundreds of pages to illustrate the connections of this culture to Israel. In presently describing their culture I attempt to illustrate what sparked my attention about the similarities between Jews, Falashas, and Rastas. The Rastas believe that they are originally and ancestrally Ethiopians. They were stolen from their homeland in times of slaveholding and brought to the New World. To say the least, the Rastafarians believe in many of the similar ... .... Leonard E. The Rastafarians. capital of Massachusetts Beacon Press, 1977.Messing, Simon D. The story of the Falashas,Black Jewsof Ethiopia. Brooklyn, N.Y. Balshon Print. & Offset Co., 1982.Campbell, Horace. R asta and Resistance. New Jersey first base Africa World Press Edition, 1987.White, Timothy. Catch A Fire. New York Henry Holt and Company, 1994.Steve wheelbarrow and Peter Dalton. Reggae - The Rough Guide. London Rough Guides, 1997.Chevannes, Barry. Rastafari - Roots and Ideology. New York siege of Syracuse Univ. Press, 1994.Rapoport, Louis. Redemption song the story of Operation Moses. San Diego Harcourt, 1986.Laing, Arlene. Introduction to Jamaica. universal resource locatorhttp//lamar.colostate.edu/laingg/Eznoh, Michael. Jammin Reggae Archives. URLhttp//www.niceup.com/Bob Marley - The Unofficial Home Page. URLhttp//www.won.nl/dsp/usr/svketel/Music/bmarley.html