A New Dawn for Black African Jews 

By: Modreck Maeresera

In December 2022, the capital city of Ivory Coast, Abidjan, was the setting of a historic event for black African Jewry. Black African Jews converged in Abidjan for the first-ever conference of Sub-Saharan African Jews. Before this conference, these communities only connection to each other was through Kulanu, an organization based in New York, USA. Kulanu helps emerging, isolated, and returning Jewish communities across the world. Representatives from Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Ghana, Madagascar, Zimbabwe, and Kenya attended the inaugural conference for Sub-Saharan African Jews. Kulanu organized the conference.

The main objective of this conference was to connect these different African communities so that they could share challenges, experiences, successes, and resources. We were all connected to Kulanu, yes! But there was hardly any interaction between these communities, and that was a sad scenario that needed prompt rectification. If there was a need to develop our Judaism, shape our future, and create a lasting identity for ourselves as African Jews, there was a need to create a direct connection to each other, not through Kulanu as a conduit. The conference aimed to foster direct connections between the various African Jewish communities, allowing for more meaningful interactions and collaborations. By establishing these connections, the communities could work together to develop their Judaism, shape their future, and create a lasting identity as African Jews.

The representatives from the 10 African countries sat down and formed the Sub-Saharan African Jewish Alliance, or SAJA, after a week of interaction, idea sharing, and prayer. We formed a board of directors and established working committees for critical areas to drive the growth and development of African Judaism. Some of the work committees created included the religious development working committee, responsible for overseeing the growth and development of Judaism in SAJA communities; the economic working committee, responsible for developing projects and connections that would bring economic independence, sustainability, and self-reliance to SAJA communities; and the education working committee, responsible for developing and promoting Jewish education in SAJA, among other work committees.

With SAJA in place, it was evident that history was unfolding before our very eyes. We, as individual communities, lacked the strength to make our voices heard. Our efforts to develop observant Jewish communities in Africa didn’t carry weight. However, together with a collective voice, collective effort, and collective dreams and aspirations, we became a force that would be difficult to ignore. For the black African Jews, things were never going to be the same again. 

Substantial portions of the Jewish people have become secular. Large numbers of Jews have lost interest, and many are marrying out of the faith and many of the young are disinterested in Israel. One of the best hopes for the future of  Judaism and the Jewish people is to be found in Africa. Sub-Saharan African Jews bring a new and fresh enthusiasm to Judaism. They serve as an inspiration to us and at some point, will become future leaders in world Jewry. Jews around the world will come to them to study Torah and look to them on ways to create vibrant communities.

Bonita Sussman, President of Kulanu

After the Sub-Saharan African Jewish Alliance is born, the newly set-up SAJA board and its different communities immediately got to work. Work committees overseen and supervised by SAJA vice president Sarah Nakintu from Uganda set out to develop thematic programs. We received acceptance as affiliates after the president of SAJA sent advocacy letters to Jewish organizations like Olam. Economic organizations like Innovation Africa have agreed to work with us. The collaboration with these organizations opened up new opportunities for us to expand our reach and impact. With their support, we were able to bring our vision of promoting Jewish cultural identity in Africa to life.

However, our biggest success was attracting the keen interest of Mr. Mark Gelfand, a Jewish philanthropist from the USA. Before the formation of SAJA, Mr. Gelfand was sponsoring economic development projects in Uganda, Ethiopia, and Zimbabwe through his NGO STEMPower, in which he has established and set up STEMCENTRES in more than 30 countries in Africa. He holds the belief that merely establishing Jewish communities is insufficient; these communities require empowerment to achieve economic self-sufficiency. The biggest challenge that SAJA and Mr. Gelfand are trying to combat is hunger. Most African countries are in a state of perennial food shortages, and under these circumstances, it is important that the Jewish communities we work with have food sovereignty. 

In Mark’s words, economic empowerment must come first ahead of religious development. The Mezzuza can follow economic empowerment. In collaboration with Mr. Gelfand, we have established irrigation projects in Uganda, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, and Cameroon. Tanzania and Ivory Coast established fisheries, while Nigeria initiated poultry projects. Many more SAJA countries are poised to reap the benefits of the Gelfand grants. The ultimate goal is to ensure that these communities are self-sufficient and no longer reliant on outside aid for their food supply. By focusing on economic empowerment first, we are laying the foundation for sustainable development and long-term success in these regions. This approach not only addresses immediate food insecurity issues but also creates opportunities for long-term growth and stability. The Gelfand grants have already made a significant impact, and we are excited to see the continued progress in the SAJA countries.

We cannot undervalue the impact of these projects. Lack of access to clean water exacerbates Zimbabwe’s serious cholera outbreak. Through the Gelfand grant, five communities got irrigation infrastructure and access to clean borehole water, which has helped alleviate the cholera problem. Southern Africa is experiencing its worst drought in living memory, and having functional irrigation projects creates fail-safe facilities for food production. The Gelfand grants are constructing a clinic and stem center in the Buhera district of rural Zimbabwe. Through these projects, Kulanu and the Gelfand food security grants complement each other. Kulanus mezuzas will find well-established, economically self-reliant Jewish communities, and the mezuzas have a greater chance of remaining stuck on the doors. 

The future for African Jewish communities has never looked brighter. Through SAJA, we are unified, we can speak with one voice, we can decide which course to chart, and we can determine our future. Kulanu and other Jewish organizations there that have and will accept to work with us will give us the helping hand that we need, and the Gelfand Agricultural Projects are helping to create strong, self-reliant Jewish communities. It is indeed the Renaissance—the dawn of African Judaism.

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