THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
24—frieey, °debar 2, 1E70
Rosh Hashana Memories in Bronze
Commandment Keepers-Black Jews of Harlem
(Editor's Note: Dr. Brotz lectures at
McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont.
This article has been excerpted from
his study, "The Black Jews of Harlem,"
a new edition of which has Just been
Published by Schocken Books, New
York. Copyright by Howard M. Brotz.
Distributed by Jewish Telegraphic
Agency under special arrangement with
Schocken Books.)
•
•
•
By HOWARD M. BROTZ
Bronze sculpture at the approach to the Canton, 0. Jewish Com-
munity Center, an affiliate of the National Jewish Welfare Board,
proclaims Judaism's universal message to mankind for peace and
understanding, and is a timely guidepost as Rosh Hashana ushers in
year 5731 in Jewish annals. Showing a family viewing the Torah's
call for "Shalom," the bas-relief also conveys the biblical appeal in
Leviticus to "Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself."
Holiday Greetings
BASIC READY MIX
Southfield, Mich.
21400 W. 8 Mile Rd.
444-1177
trine but also as the religion of in the Hebrew school stated at the
a group which is doomed to an commencement exercises, with her
apocalyptic destruction.
Judaism is thus not simply
"their" religion but the true reli-
gion, the religion of a chosen peo-
ple. They insist that Christianity
violates the Ten Commandments,
keeps the Sabbath on the wrong
day and is full of idolatry. It was
with Israel that God made the
covenant and it 'is Israel who will
be resurrected when the Messiah
comes. Only Israel has the Kabal-
istic Science. We are the elect of
Israel, they say.
finger pointed to the window, "He-
brew is not a language of the
street."
All the new members immediate-
ly learn the words "Shalom" and
"Shalom Aleichem," which they
henceforth use in greeting each
other, and begin to study Hebrew
in evening classes. (The children
come in the afternoon after school
where they are taught by Matt-
As early as 1900. Negro preach-
ers were traveling through the
Carolinas preaching the doctrine
that the so-called Negroes were
hew.)
really the lost sheep of the House
The male members are each
of Israel. There is no reason to
given a Hebrew name; when
think, however, that such reflec-
Intertwined
with
such
doctrinal
they
are sufficiently advanced
tions did not begin much earlier,
and apocalyptic reflections is a
they can be then called to the
in fact during slavery itself, when
moral
objection
to
Christianity
altar
to read a portion of the
the more imaginative and more
or, to be more precise, the
Torah or to recite the blessing
daring of the slaves began to won-
Christianity
with
which
they
are
of the Torah.
der about the very human question
familiar. This is its hallowing of
of who they really were and where
While some read the words of
meekness which, as the following
they really came from.
the
Torah very haltingly, others
remark by Matthew shows, is im-
The black Jews contend that the
read
with greater ease. Everyone,
mediately perceived in a racial
so-called Negroes in America are
of course, knows the blessing,
context.
really Ethiopian Hebrews or Falas-
which is soon learned by rote; and
Related to this is the constant some of the Hebrew songs are
has who had been stripped of their
knowledge of their name and reli- contempt and ridicule which Matt- transliterated.
hews
shows for ecstatic religion
gion during slavery. The term
The black Jews proudly assert
Negro, they further contend, is a that consumes itself in other world- that they are strictly kosher. They
word invented by the slavemasters ly orientation. "We need what kept use kosher salt and kosher soap
and imposed upon the slaves to- the Jews alive for 5,000 years. This and there is no question that apart
gether with the white man's reli- is more than a few precepts or an from Hebrew, the most important
gion in order to demoralize them: oily tongue. We need knowledge." single meaningful religious de-
One might ask, however, knowl-
and they did this by instilling in
ment for these people is observ-
the slaves the view that they had edge of what and for what? As we ance of the rule against eating of
no gods, no ancestors, no princi- shall see this includes Hebrew.
the rules of kosher foods and the unkosher foods. In this sect these
pies of right and wrong—nothing
and lob-
Kabalistic Science of the House of are pork, crabs, catfish,
worthwhile—of their own.
frankfurters,
as well as duck,
The corollary of this is that it Israel. One might also expect it sters
and beer. All of these are regard-
is impossible for a person who to include the Law in the most
unhealthy.
acquiesces in the white man's comprehensive sense. But here a ed as
The black Jews have their week-
slight
perplexity
arises.
The
closer
definition of him as a Negro to
they
get
to
the
conception
of
them-
ly
services
on Friday nights and
have any pride or dignity; for
both respect and self-respect de- selves as the bearers of the Law, Saturdays, both morning and after-
the
closer
they
get
to
Deuteronomy
noon,
and,
as stated in a poster
pend upon having a "house of
your own." The Commandment 28 with its prophetic injunction that outside the synagogue, they cele-
the
Children
of
Israel,
if
they
dis-
brace
all
Jewish
holidays, if some-
Keepers thus conceive of them-
selves as a "lighthouse in a sea obey the Law, will be re-enslaved what in their own way. This is in
and carried across the sea in ships. addition to such festivities as bar
of darkness."
Thus, while in one way this con- mitzvas (confirmations) and wed-
On what basis do the Command- firms their identity. as Hebrews to dings.
ment Keepers conclude that the so- themselves, it also shifts the cause
called Negroes are really the He- of slavery onto the Negro himself.
Words are an attempt to grip
brews of the Bible? The members With a few exceptions this problem and dissect that which in ultimate
of the sect are devoted readers tends to be passed over in silence. essence is as ungrippable as a sha-
of the Bible, and know many long
dow. —Samuel Butler.
Hebrew, as the black Jews
passages of it by heart. What from
contend, is the Lord's language,
their own point of view is the
the sacred language spoken by
scriptural proof of their identity?
Best Wishes For A Happy
Adam and Eve in the Garden of
There are essentially two main
and Healthy New Year
Eden,
their language which was
points. The first is that Jacob was
stolen from them during slav-
black because he had a smooth
ery.
And
they
hold
it
in
all
the
skin "as the black man invariably
awe and reverence that they
has," and hence the patriarchs
would grant to their most sacred
4320 N. Woodward
were black. Solomon was also
possession.
Royal Oak, Mich.
549-6996
black, and Matthews contends that
Besides, as one of the teachers
the biblical phrase in the Song of
Solomon 1:5, in which Solomon
says, "I am black but comely, 0
New Year Greetings
ye daughters of Jerusalem," should
be correctly translated as black
, and comely. (Indeed, the Hebrew
does permit either alternative.)
The second point is that they are
Silk Screen Colors — Supplies — Equipment
I the descendants of the union be-
; tween King Solomon and the Queen
6340 Fenkell
862-1115
of Sheba who founded a line of
Ethiopian Hebrew kings from Men-
elik I down to Haile Selassie, the
I Lion of Judah, who is covertly a
Happy New Year To Our
Hebrew.
Relatives, Friends and Patrons
A third point, which obviously
goes beyond the question of mere
identity, is Wentworth A.
Matthews' insistence that Noah, in
Genesis 9:25, did not curse Canaan
8923 Puritan
UN 3-7710
to be a servant of servants be-
cause Noah was drunk and God
does not use intoxicated people to
4
Mr. Gene's Barber Shop
New Year Greetings
BLUE FLASH CHEMICAL CO.
Desmond Process Supply Co.
Best wishes and greetings to all our friends and customers
for a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.
BEN & GEORGE'S DELICATESSEN
Middlebelt & W. 7 Mile Rd. — Livonia
GR 4-9829
KE 5-1770
Your Host: Sammy Lerman
DETROIT COMMERCIAL ELECTRIC CO.
Happy Holiday
BERMAN'S CHOP HOUSE
execute his curses.
The primary grounds on which
1431 TIMES SQUARE
.X9
a
a
s
a
a
a
00000000 000 Q-9 (LULA 0-9
0 kit W 2.0 4.9 0 0 W Q-9 ISO W
The Staff of
BRE/1TS HAIR FASHIONS
wish you a Happy New Year 1970-5731
15411 W. 9 Mile Rd., Oak Park
543-2211
Happy New Year to Our Friends and Patrons
COHEN & SON
Kosher Meat & Poultry Market
26035 Coolidge
LI 7-4121
$7.4.11- o
.. .cry
the black Jews seem - to repu-
diate Christianity is that it is not
their own. Judaism is the ances-
tral heritage of the Ethiopians,
Christianity is the religion of the
Gentiles, which in this I sect
means whites.
Wishing AU My Customers and Friends .
A Very Happy and Healthy New Year
1
I
1
1
I
THE DUPLEX SHOPPE
Ruth Ross
In theory this might be assumed
to result in a feeling of indiffer-
ence toward Christianity as mere-
ly the religion of another nation,
and as the members of the sect
look most inwardly to their own
th
rituals this might seem to be the
case. But the rejection of C hris-
tianity, no matter what freedom
from preoccupation with It the high
point of their rituals may provid e,
is hardly an indifferent matter f or
these people; and Matthews' se
io
Christianity
not merely as an erroneous doc
I
I
I
Best Wishes For A Happy New Year
BENYAS-KAUFMAN
PHOTOGRAPHERS,. INC.
I
•.
-
I •
..
36 ■ 1
s-VIr• 3
.a• , 1.
I 3.40.... • .••• 31•