The Abayudaya (Abayudaya is Luganda for "People of Judah", analogous to Children of Israel) are a Baganda community in eastern Uganda near the town of Mbale who practice Judaism. Although they are not genetically or historically related to other ethnic Jews, they are generally devout in their practice of the religion, keeping kashruth, and observing Shabbat. Today, the group is recognized by members of the Reform and Conservative sects of Judaism.
As I was already on holiday in the south of the country, it made perfect sense to visit the Abayudaya during Passover, which of course, is any good Jewish girl’s favorite holiday (I still maintain however that I am not religious!). Pesach (Passover), for those who don’t know, is the Jewish holiday celebrating freedom (specifically the Jews freedom from slavery in Egypt) and the retelling of the story of Exodus. The primary event associated with the holiday is a meal and ceremony called Seder – the most famous seder for gentiles being the last supper – where particular songs are sang, questions asked, and crackers hidden (totally tangential information: but the piece of unleavened bread or cracker, aka matzah, that is hidden is called the afikomen. When I was boarding a flight to Tel Aviv two years ago the flight attendant nearly refused me on the plane when she asked if I was Jewish, and then didn’t believe me when I couldn’t recall the name of the half piece of matza… oy gavalt).
So, after a night in Mbale and the visit to Sipi, where I linked up with some Israeli doctors working in Kampala, I took a 20-minute boda boda ride outside of Mbale to Nabugoye hill.
Mbale and the Abayudaya on a map:
The community chairperson, named Israel, greeted me warmly, took me to his home, and gave me a brief tour of the synagogue grounds. It wasn’t long before I found Sarah, a 16 year Abayudaya, who is a friend of Noah. She showed me the school, gardens, and area where a student delegation of 20 Israelis was camping. Said Israelis came for Pesach with 12 kilos of Matzah and a few dozen bottles of kosher wine.
Can you picture it:150+ black, African Jews, speaking Hebrew, wearing Tallit and Kippot, singing Dayenu, and eating Matzah and Matoke (with maybe 10 Jewish Muzungus from various parts of East Africa and 20 Israelis)?
Incredible to say the least! I hope you can picture it, because, as Passover is treated the same as Shabbat I couldn’t take any photos after sunset. Rabbi Aaron Kintu Moses led the Seder from a proper Haggadah; this must have been the most brain-bending aspect for me, being able to sing songs I’ve grown up singing with people from such widely varied backgrounds.
Three children rotated sitting on my lap, as there were not nearly enough seats for the large group. Similarly, in lieu of the expected four glasses of wine, we counted sips. The charoset was composed of peanut butter and bananas, not apples and walnuts, and (sadly) there was no Matzah ball soup, but there is no question that this was the greatest Passover experience.
For the first time, and largely a result of discussions I’ve had in Uganda about faith (and my lack of), I’ve been able to really process what areas of my personal life, work and academic interests, and beliefs are deeply connected to fundamental areas of Judaism – a need for community cohesion and social inclusion, cultural continuity, and perseverance in light of persecution.
The Abayudayas’ proclamation concerning faith is presented more eloquently than mine:
Why the Abayudaya chose to be Jewish
The following reasons, taken from the Abayudaya website help to explain why members of the Abayudaya congregation have persisted in their practice of Judaism despite the various constraints which make it difficult to do so.
The lack of firm and independent foundation of belief in other religions; for instance:
African traditional religion believes that the dead, big rocks/trees, certain animals have influence over life, which is not true. Christianity's doctrine of the trinity is not only confusing to a simple mind but even to a logical one. We don't agree with their emphasis on salvation. Some of the Islamic doctrines seem to be a misconception of Judaism. For instance, Islam is not clear on the characteristics of Kosher and non-kosher animals; camels and rabbits are “Kosher” to Muslims. This is a consequence of the misconception of the idea of a divided hoof and chewing of the cud. The idea of Jihad (“Holy War”) eliminates the possibility of peace from Islam. The other reason is that the Torah protects individuals who observe it from behaviours and conducts that might be dangerous to their life, both spiritually and physically. For instance, the prohibition against adultery/promiscuity protects people from contracting HIV and from family instabilities. The prohibition against marriage with a close relative protects individuals from genetically transmitted illnesses. Circumcision is somewhat protective against the spread of HIV. Proper observance of Shabbat reduces exhaustion and body wear and tear; while the numerous festivals are times of joy, happiness and spiritual relaxation which are necessary for mental health. The Ten Commandments are a great gift to world peace and harmony without which men would “eat” each other in broad daylight. Lastly, the world of Judaism is a world of brotherhood, where, despite ideological and doctrinal differences, every Jew is responsible for the other. Judaism is the fabric that is common to many different cultures. We wish to be part of the people who over centuries have faced the most ugly hatred, mistreatment and attempted extinction but have persistently continued to exist. To be part of a People whose existence is miraculous in itself. To be part of a People whose doctrine served as the foundation of faith for the world's major religions.
Problems of maintaining a Jewish community
The most serious problem is religious prejudice. In Uganda a Jew is referred to as Christ killer. On several occasions, some of us have failed job interviews just for being Jews.
The fact that Kakungulu converted from Christianity to Judaism made Christians unhappy with him. After his death, the Abayudaya continued to suffer persecution.
The Muslims regarded Abayudaya as abandoned people by God and they often referred to members of our congregation as monkeys, with intent to suppress the idea of Judaism in Uganda.
As already noted some individuals have attempted to use political power to eliminate the foundations of our community, but government policy is tolerant to all religious beliefs. The poor relationship between Israel and the Arabs sometimes spills over to our relationship with our Muslim neighbors.
Under the above conditions we live in anxiety and, since we have not been wholly accepted in the family of Jews, we are neither here not there. We therefore want to be part of the Jewish world, but not isolated Africans who simply claim to be Jews.
We also suffer all dangers of being a minority.
However, we feel very unique in Africa, where almost no other person is Jewish. We are the chosen few.
At party in Atlanta, in February, someone callously asked me if I consider myself Caucasian or Jewish - Phil defiantly responded to her with something along the lines of, “Do you consider yourself Protestant or Sandy Springs?” - and I didn’t give her a very thoughtful response. And similarly, while the highlight of my undergraduate career looked at how displaced people represent these different areas of identity, it was never something I chose to process on a personal level. Experiencing Pesach with the Abayudaya really afforded me with some mental space to look at how I identify myself with others across religious, racial, national, cultural, and ethnic lines - without sending me home from a village born again, black, Ugandan, or feeling more Jewish, per se.
Anyway, enough rambling; I’m much better with visuals!
The gates and school within the community:
The Moses Synagogue:
Some elders, smiling:
Seder (the only photo I was able to take before sunset/Shabat began):
A belated chag sameach to you all!
