This is a group that I personally would consider having potential of being legitimate..
These are the same crazies we see onthe streets who pretend to be Jews nor do i think they are the same group found in Dimona who are polygamists.
This group does practice a form of observant Judaism although I don't know what else it is about them that makes them different.
Best to ask Chaim this specific question..i have wnated to do this in past askjtf's, but didn't know the name of this Hebrew group.
Now, another things about this movement is that it isn't a typical orthodox movement. It mimicks the conservative to modern orthodox movement and has black people, hispanics, and a few whites in it and because of the separatism (rightfully) from mainstream Jewish groups, it also has a Black nationalist aspect to it.
The way I look at is this. You have Islam and branches of Christianity which black americans mainly identify with. HOwver, there are black americans who identify with the message of Torah, but also have that black pride in them and dont' feel comfortable around whites...hence you have a black synogogue which mimicks mainstream non orthodox synogogues.
People of this movement who are very observant would not accept the traditions of this synogogue because it does not go with code with Torah Judaism and mimicks the hated conservative movement. Let me know if i'm wrong.
Me personally, I have more questions. I would sit in their place of worship and see how they do things, have theological discussions, ask them how they feel about Talmud and the sages and how they would feel if they and their congregants had to go through a ritual Torah Jewish conversion to legitimize them as Jews much like the Ben Menasseh and Ethiopian Jews who made aliya to Israel.
On another arguement..the reason why the reform and conservative movements are hated is because of the perception that these movements hate Torah and Gd and want to form another religion off of Judaism. These black congregations only seem to mimick these movements without what seems to be the understanding of what the point or perception of the conservatie and reform movements...but right now i'm just splitting hairs.
I hope that this movement is open to hearing the proper ways of practicing Torah Judaism and that they pursue that realm much of the way many conservative Jews get hungrier for more Torah and later become conservadox or for that matter, more observant and really practice a form of Torah Judaism that Tzvi might not agree with but find legitimate.
Topic: NYTimes Article Legitimizes Black Hebrews? Is this Legitimate? (Read 1214 times)