An Interview with Yatov Ben Israel, the Nigerian Representative to Sub-Saharan African Alliance (SAJA)

Yatov Ben Israel is a multi-faceted individual with a diverse set of roles and responsibilities. Professionally, he is a civil engineer by training, utilizing his expertise in the field of construction and infrastructure development. However, his interests and impact extend far beyond his chosen career path. A passionate activist, Yatov dedicates his time and efforts to various causes close to his heart. He is an advocate for social justice, human rights, and community empowerment, lending his voice to movements that strive for positive change. In addition to his activism, he wears several other hats. Notably, he holds a significant position as the current Nigeria representative to the Sub-Saharan African Jewish Alliance (SAJA). In this role, he represents the interests of the Nigerian Jewish community on a regional level, fostering connections and collaborations across the diverse Jewish communities of Sub-Saharan Africa. With his multifaceted background, unwavering commitment to social causes, and leadership roles within influential organizations, Yatov stands as a prominent figure, leveraging his expertise and influence to make a meaningful impact on the communities he serves.

How did you become a Jew?

I will say that I was born a Jew. There’s a reason for this: I was born to meet my father as a Jewish person. He was going down the old road and not the new one. He told us many times that the New Testament doesn’t talk about God. God is only talked about in the Old Testament. He taught us to follow the path of Judaism, which is the way of the Hebrews. That’s why I said I knew about Judaism when I was born and have been following it since then.

Sir, African Jewish Voices is aware that you visited Israel some time ago. Please tell us about your visit to Israel.

My visit to Israel was a great experience because, for me, it was a mitzvah. It was a mitzvah for me to visit the land of Israel in my lifetime. I was at a conference in Addis Ababa when I made up my mind to visit Israel, so I got in touch with Rabbi Uzzan of Chabad, Nigeria, and also my business partner in Israel, Rabbi Ruben Cohen, who is the CEO of Agro Fruits. They gave me all the necessary support, and I was able to get a visa in less than 24 hours. 

During my visit to Israel, I was able to attend a bat mitzvah at the temple mount on Monday after my arrival. I even visit Masada, where King Herod’s Palace is located. It is one of the great historical sites because it served as a fortress for Jews when the Romans overtook Judea in the 1st century. I visited the market. I visited the Dead Sea. I understand that the Dead Sea is the lowest part of the world. I was warned not to allow the water to touch my eyes or my nose because it was so salty.

Also, I observed my shabbat in one of the Knesset in Tel Aviv. The shul is called Yakar Knesset. The Rabbi in charge is Rabbi Hananel. It was a great experience for me. I was supposed to visit Israel again in October, but unfortunately, the Hamas attack happened and it was canceled.

What has visiting Israel done to you as a Nigerian Jew? 

My visit to Israel has assisted me to consolidate my faith and strengthened my decision as a Jew, knowing full well that we are isolated in Nigeria. Visiting Israel made me see what I used to hear physically. Seeing it physically assisted my spiritual standing as a Jew because my soul was able to feel, relate to, and connect with my faith. It also made me know that I was on the right path. Today, I am a proud Jew. It made me more Jewish.

Then, economically, because of my experience in technology and advanced security, my visit to Israel made me realize that I could partner with my brothers from Israel and turn the world around. It is a real one for me. If it is possible and if I have the means, I want to set up my investment and possibly send my children to Yeshiva. It has been a great experience for me

Mr. Yatov, we will like you to tell us what your take is on the conversion requirement that is being demanded of Nigerian Jews.

Personally, I decided to convert because that is what we believe will reinforce our identity as Jews. It is a privilege for me. Ideally, as Africans, our tradition is intertwined with Orthodox Judaism, but we had the privilege of meeting with a Beth din of Conservative Judaism during our conversion. It was a great experience because it built you in line with your faith. Since we cannot prove the tribe from where our mothers come from, instead of continuing the unending and hard-to-prove tracing of whether we come from Israel or not, we decided to settle on conversion. So that is the reason I decided to convert.

Can you tell us about Urhobo Jews, if there is anything like that?

Sometimes, when they say Igbo Jews, I want to appeal to whomever, for the purpose of documentation, that they should be called Nigerian Jews. I am not an Igbo man. We have people practicing Judaism and observing the torah among Ijaws and Urhobo. I have met a Yoruba man who is a Jew. You have Ijaws and people of other tribes practicing Judaism. I am an Urhobo man, and if you say Urhobo Jews, it’s ok, but I am a Nigerian, so we should be called Nigerian Jews. 

Can you tell us about traces of Judaism among Urhobo Jews, if any?

As for my father, who is the spiritual leader of our Knesset, people in the Delta political space call him Rabbi even though he did not attend yeshiva. So, like my father told me, our trace is to Judaism, and in line with our tradition and culture as Urhobo people, our tradition is intertwined with Judaism in the practice of eight-day brit milah for a male child, the niddah practice, and a whole lot of others indigenous tradition. Not all, but some of the things forbidden by the Torah were also forbidden in Urhobo culture. The most interesting thing is that we were told that Urhobo people are linked to the tribe of Ruben.

For instance, the Igbos are linked to the tribe of Gad, and the Urhobo are linked to the tribe of Ruben. According to the Torah, the tribes of Ruben, Gad, and some of Mannashe did not enter Israel; instead, they remained on the other side of Jordan as Moshe directed. If we examine it closely, we can see that the mythology may be true, despite the fact that we have little evidence to back it up.

We understand that you have a foundation you are currently overseeing; can you tell us about your foundation?

My father, Dr. Israel Abido, founded the Initiative for Progressive Judaism Development (IPJD) in the early 1990s. You have a lot of professors of Urhobo extraction from Agbor who worked with him in founding the organization. They decided to come together and have an organization that will help Judaism develop through teaching Judaism in universities as a course, building libraries, and generally encouraging Judaism practice in Nigeria. Also, the organization aimed to assist in Judaism development, the building of synagogues, support for festivals, and skill acquisition. 

Can you tell us about the programs the organization is currently carrying out, if any?

We support some synagogues in the area of donation for Shabbat observation and festivals too. Sometimes we get hallah and kosher wine and distribute it to synagogues. We have collaborated with a couple of synagogues, like Meir Elohim in Port Harcourt, Tikvat Israel, and Gihon Synagogues in Abuja, respectively. We do it as Zadakah, and we fund it from the profit from our personal business. These are what we do currently.

What do you have to tell Jews in Nigeria with regard to ways to practice Judaism better?

My counsel to Nigerian Jews is to be truthful with one another. They should try to follow the mitzvot. They should understand what it means to be Jewish and united. Then, they should assist and encourage one another to see how we can best see our communities expand and, if feasible, create our own pattern of Judaism that is comfortable with our unique characteristics. For example, among Igbo Jews, Yoruba Jews, Urhobo Jews, and so on.

Going forward, we should endeavor to have our own Rabbi and possibly our own Sidur in our local language. This will allow us to concentrate more during prayer because it is claimed that we must concentrate when conversing with Hashem, and if you can concentrate better when praying in your native language, it will be beneficial to have Sidur translated into our local language.

The only way we can get there is to encourage communal practice by sponsoring one of our own to go to Yeshiva and become a Rabbi, so he can guide us on how to proceed so that we do not contradict the Torah. So, in general, my advice is that we must rise up to live as one, love one another, and engage in the community. Bezrat Hashem, we are looking forward to having a Kibbutz where Jews can live together as one—as a community. This will help us observe Shabbat well. You know that synagogues are very far from us here in Nigeria, and it affects our observation of Shabbat. Most of the time, we drive on Shabbat days, but if we have a Kibbutz, we will have a synagogue in our mist, so you don’t need to drive to synagogue on Shabbat days. So that’s my advice for them.

What do we have to say about the practice of Judaism in Africa?

My advice is that we must be sincere in our purpose. Judaism in Africa should not be an avenue to make money, as some other religions do. It should not be an avenue for exploitation. You should not be a Jew in Africa because you want to go to Israel. We are all in exile. Going to Israel is a design by Hashem, and when the Mashiach comes, he is going to make His name known in the world and will gather us together. So, Judaism in Africa should be a way of life. We should be sincere in our purpose. We should sincerely practice Judaism and see the observation of the mitzvot as a way of life. If you do that, keeping the law won’t be difficult for you. So, Jews in Africa should see the practice of Judaism as fulfilling mitzvah, and they should do it with joy and comfort.

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