ON THE CASCADING HILLS OF MBALE WHERE JUDAISM THRIVES
Road trips are great, no doubt, especially for a first-time visitor like me who is eager to set foot on the Abayudaya Jewish community but has to endure an overland journey of 6 hours taking off from Kampala, the capital of Uganda. While in Entebbe, the only spot with a commercial airport in the country, I had stylishly achieved a childhood fantasy: a swim looking more like a mikveh bath in Lake Victoria, the world’s largest lake. Call it a season of breaking records, because that’s what it is, as I find myself in this part of the continent on a maiden visit.
Setting out on a long trip for the sake of Shabbat is an honorable thing to do. From the hilly side of Kampala, we drove through some scattered traffic jams before getting to Mukono, a district on the outskirts of the capital. As we drove east into the countryside, there was a good tract of lush, paved agricultural fields with sugarcane, coffee, rice, and tree plantations on both sides of the road. By the time we got to Jinja, my geography mental storage had begun to process why this country is referred to as the pearl of Africa, even though it’s a landlocked country.
On the driving seat was Rabbi Gershom Sizomu, the chief Rabbi of Uganda, a former highly esteemed member of the Ugandan Parliament, and spiritual leader of the Abayudaya Community in Eastern Uganda. Other occupants in the car were Boyah and Dvora, two beautiful nieces of the Rabbi, his in-law, Ariel, and one other brother. This has been a normal routine for the Rabbi, covering at least a 12-hour roundtrip from his residence in Kampala to Mbale for weekly Shabbat and festivals.
Focusing on the road in front without flickering his head, Rabbi Gershom continued to educate me:
At a distance to my right, there you find the source of the Nile, you can go right up to the source on a hired boat, from where the Nile flows out of the Lake Victoria, passing under this very Jinja bridge as it begins its journey northward down to Egypt, making it the longest river in Africa.
“You mean the River Nile, where Moshe was put in a basket”
I interrupted. “Yes, exactly,’ he responded with a Ugandan ascent,” which is the magic and uniqueness of Uganda,” he added.
As we reached the other end of the bridge, my Jewish sensitivity and reasoning were fully activated, linking this territory with key Jewish parameters. Could this be one of the reasons why some parts of Uganda were offered as a Jewish homeland in 1903 to Jewish refugees escaping rising antisemitism in Europe long before the establishment of the state of Israel? In 1976, there was an Israeli military raid in the airport at Entebbe to rescue Israeli hostages whose airplane was hijacked by terrorists loyal to Palestinian militia groups. Also to mention is the fact that thousands of Ugandan Jewish adherents survived a full-blown state-sponsored antisemitism persecution on the orders of the military junta head of state, Idi Amin, and were forced to flee and take shelter in the forest for several years faced with hunger, starvation, and infectious diseases. These are quite a number of historic Jewish pointers in one country alone!
Mbale, in eastern Uganda, is home to the Abayudaya (“people of Judah” in Luganda), who recently marked 100 years of existence dating back to 1919, when Semei Kakungulu embraced Judaism. Born in Koki kingdom to the family of Semuwemba of the Ganda people, Semei escaped back to Buganda kingdom after his parents were executed due to a secret royal power tussle and was later appointed by the king of Buganda as a District Chief, a testament to his remarkable personality. He went on to become a brave military commander and worked with the British administrators to wage several wars against groups like the Moslem-Arab minorities and surrounding kingdoms that posed a threat to British rule. Despite his military exploits that paved the way for British rule over wide areas of the region and eventually annexing the Ugandan territory in 1894 as a protectorate, he fell out with the British authorities.
As a reward for his loyalty to the British, he desired to be acknowledged and treated as the Kabaka (king) of the eastern region of Uganda instead of his appointment as military governor of Eastern Uganda. Amid ongoing tensions over kingship, Semei kakungulu decided to sever ties with the British and return to Mbale, the town he founded. In the years that followed, scriptural texts from the Old Testament Bible appealed to his spirit, and he demanded the observance of all Moses commandments around the region. Leading by example, he carried out circumcision on not just himself but on all his sons in 1919, signaling his conversion to the Jewish religion. Despite attempts by Christian leaders to persuade Kakungulu to return to Christianity, he remained steadfast in his belief that observing Shabbat is an everlasting command from God, rooted in the creation narrative.
He is credited with writing a book, “Quotations from the Holy Book,” a ninety-page book in Luganda, a guide to the Jewish religion, and a handbook for teachers in the community. Food for shabbat was prepared on Fridays, work began on Sundays, and the Abayudaya observed Shabbat diligently, punished violators, and only consumed meat that they had personally slaughtered. The community kept expanding and had reached around two thousand members by the time Kakungulu passed away in Mbale on November 24, 1928. Before and after his death, they continued to learn a lot more about Jewish laws and practices from traveling Jewish individuals and guidance from a number of teachers who followed in the path of leading the Jewish community. Nine decades after the era of Semei Kakungulu, the oversight of the community of Abayudaya now lies on the shoulders of Sizomu Gershom, the chief Rabbi of Uganda, along with a host of other Rabbis and heads of other administrations.
It was a few minutes before sundown when we pulled up at the Rabbi’s quarter on the hills of Nabugoye, at a height of approximately 2,350 meters above sea level. We began the ascent at the edge of Mbale town, passing through greenfield and quiet settlements, and then slowly moving up steeply paths to arrive at the hilltop headquarters of the Abayudaya Community. A major transformation has taken place in the area since Semei Kakungulu allocated this land for the community in the hills of Nabugoya.
A short distance from the guest house, an interlock pathway led us to the Stern Synagogue, where we gathered to celebrate Shabbat. We strolled down to the Rabbi’s quarter for a delicious Shabbat meal of rice, matokeh (pounded plantains), and chicken soup, right after the Kiddush. It was a memorable first time in the midst of the Abayudaya. Everyone was filled, including the Rabbi’s dogs, who happily were savoring the discarded, juicy chicken bones. After a few moments of Torah, the place was engulfed with a melodious brikat hamazon and then the bidding of goodnight as everyone called it a day, dispersing in different directions.
For the Shacharit service, it was already announced that it would take place at the Namanyonyi Synagogue, which is a direction down the hills to another trading center in the next village. Over the years, the demographics of the Abayudaya have stretched beyond extreme distances in the north and towards western Uganda. Just like the Namanyonyi Synagogue, the Putti Community Synagogue is located at another distant corner off the town of Mbale, but quite bigger with a Jewish school, mikveh, and a modern synagogue building powered by solar electricity. Outside of Mbale, they can also be found in Namutumba and Bukedi, and even right up to northern Uganda in the faraway Apac. Migration and economic factors were identified as key reasons for the migration over time. Around central Uganda, there are active Jewish shuls in Mukono with traces of the Abayudaya and some new converts with no ties to Mbale, the cradle of Judaism in Uganda. Nevertheless, they’ve remained bonded and shared a commitment to strengthen and uphold the legacy of the Abayudaya and all other Ugandan Jews.
The attendance at the Shacharit service at Namonyonyi Synagogue was twice as high as the turnout for the Kabbalat Shabbat the previous night at Nabugoye. The whole place was filled with devoted worshipers from different communities in a high-spirited service to make it a historic first one in East Africa for me. I couldn’t help but wonder what Shacharit would be like on the hilltop at Nabugoye. The thought filled me with curiosity and excitement. However, before that could be experienced, the feast of Purim was approaching in the coming weekday.
On the eve of Purim, a crowd of young students graced the Stern Synagogue to mark the 2023 festival. They were students of Hadassah Nursery and Primary School, located at the foot of the hill. Most of them had colorful masks made from carbon paper on their faces as they listened to the reading of the megillah in the local language. The night was filled with excitement and joy as the children enthusiastically screamed whenever Haman’s name was mentioned during the reading. The majority of the students came from diverse religious backgrounds, including Christians and Muslims. This unique mix fostered an environment of religious tolerance, cooperation, and unity, ultimately promoting peaceful coexistence among the different sects. The school ensures that all students are treated fairly and are given the freedom to practice their own religious beliefs, regardless of their background. School management receives support from various Jewish organizations, including Kulanu, a non-profit organization based in New York, as well as several other organizations and individuals from Israel.
In addition to the Hadassah school, the Jewish community also has another educational institution called the Semei Kakungulu High School. The secondary school has been a valuable addition to the community, with thousands of students graduating since its establishment in 1999. Making education and learning a priority has been the vision of Kakungulu, and hence it was a commendable thing for the generations that followed to name a school after him. This puts his memory in the spotlight, to be remembered not just as a colonial military governor but also as the forerunner of Judaism in Uganda and a lover of education. As one descends the slopes, one can see the Semei Kakungulu country lodge, which was constructed by his great-granddaughter Rachel Kakungulu. Behind it is the Kakungulus’ 1920 home and burial site, which is now a popular tourist destination for historians.
Expanding upon Kakungulu’s impressive track record of establishing numerous schools, roads, and hospitals in Eastern Uganda, a Jewish Health Center now stands proudly in downtown Mbale, thanks to the dedicated efforts of Rabbi Gershom. Since its inception, it has provided affordable healthcare options for the Jewish community, particularly for the elderly who are in need and facing financial challenges due to rising medical expenses. Alongside offering top-notch medical services, the Tobin Health Center uses medical specialists and nurses from the Jewish community. This way, there are available opportunities to provide job openings to health workers in the community.
The strength of a community is demonstrated by its capacity to tackle challenges that threaten our shared existence and well-being as Jews striving to succeed autonomously in a multicultural society. Health care, education, agriculture, development, security, and charity are essential components that contribute to the economic growth of a people. However, taking a broader look across other Jewish communities in Uganda and across sub-Saharan Africa, the challenges are remarkably similar. The reality on the ground in most African Jewish communities is far from where they desire to be in the future. Therefore, it is important to consistently strive to balance things up in ways that would take the community from where they are at the moment to where they want to be in the future. A future in which we envisage growth in the Jewish population, sustainable agricultural activities to address food insecurity, quality education, support for Jewish owned startups and small businesses, and most importantly, the establishment of typical Jewish settlement communities where Jews can live side by side, strengthening and complementing each other to achieve a robust Jewish economy.
Ultimately, time is the price to be paid. Despite setbacks under Idi Amin’s rule, the Abayudaya community has flourished for 105 years and spread to other regions of Uganda. The headquarters of Abayudaya, located on the hills of Nabugoye, serves as a remarkable model that could be emulated in other regions of sub-Saharan Africa that have yet to experience living in a typical Jewish community settlement. With an elevation of around 2,350 meters, the view of the surroundings is truly awe-inspiring. The peaceful atmosphere at the top, accompanied by the towering trees providing shade, is beyond compare. It brings joy and inspiration to me and countless others to explore and spend time in the beautiful hills of Mable, where Judaism is thriving.
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