Gili Yalo | A Story of Faith, Longing, Jewish Joy, Music, and Coming Home

It’s the middle of the night. My father wakes me up. My mother, sister, and brother are already getting ready. I have no idea what’s going on. I’m only five years old.

“Where are we going?” I ask.

“To Zion,” my mother answers.

I knew Zion only from stories. Late at night, when the grown-ups gathered around the fire, they spoke of it as though it were the most beautiful place on earth.

In my imagination, rivers of milk flowed through Zion, and every fruit tasted like honey. And since I had no idea that white Jews even existed, I naturally imagined that everyone in Zion was Black, just like us. You can imagine the surprise waiting for me!

And so we set off, barefoot, carrying sacks of food on our backs. About fifty people walked into the darkness. No roads, no lights, in a land where bandits and armed gangs could do whatever they wanted to us if we were caught.

I remember sitting on my father’s shoulders, singing to everyone as we made our way through the wilderness. People would tell him, “This boy is going to be a singer when he grows up!”

A prophecy that came true.

Although my father actually wanted me to become a lawyer.

Little did I know that this journey would become such an inseparable part of who I am, or that music would one day become my way of sharing this story with the world.

But my story began long before I was born.

For generations, Ethiopian Jews dreamed of Jerusalem. That dream was passed down through stories, prayers, and sacred chants. One of its most powerful expressions was Sigd, a unique holiday celebrated by the Ethiopian Jewish community.

Every year, Jews from across Ethiopia would set out on a journey, sometimes walking for an entire week, to gather in the mountains of Gondar.

Led by the Kessim, the community’s spiritual leaders, they would climb a mountain, fast, read from the sacred scriptures, and renew their covenant with God, inspired by the biblical gathering described in the Book of Nehemiah.

They prayed to return to Jerusalem and reunite with their brothers and sisters.

But Sigd was about much more than prayer.

It was a rare opportunity to see family and friends from distant villages, exchange news, and hear updates from community leaders. After all, there wasn’t even a Jewish newspaper! These annual gatherings were one of the most important ways to stay connected, preserve a sense of community, and celebrate Jewish Joy.

The prayers and sacred chants were recited in Ge’ez, an ancient Semitic language related to Hebrew and Arabic.

On November 8, I’d love to invite you to join me on this journey at the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia.

I’ll share the story of my family’s journey to Israel and sing ancient prayers in Ge’ez, alongside Hebrew interpretations of these sacred texts. Together, we’ll try to experience something of the faith, longing, and hope that sustained our ancestors for generations.

And then, after our spiritual journey, it’s time to let our bodies join the celebration!

I’ll be joined onstage by four incredible musicians. Together, we’ll blend Ethiopian rhythms with jazz, gospel, funk, and soul, creating music that will move your feet and lift your spirit.

Since Ethiopian Jews returned to Israel, Sigd has taken on another meaning. What was once a holiday filled with longing for Jerusalem has also become a celebration of gratitude for a dream fulfilled. It has become our Jewish Joy.

For me, performing at a museum dedicated to American Jewish history is especially meaningful. Because the story of Ethiopian Jews isn’t just an Ethiopian story or an Israeli story. It’s part of the larger story of the Jewish people.

Once, I was a little boy singing on my father’s shoulders on the road to Zion.

Today, I stand onstage, still singing that same dream.

I’d love for you to come and be part of this story.

With love,
Gili Yalo

We invite you to join us on November 8th for a Community Day to learn more about Sigd and then to celebrate with Gili that evening!