From Challah to Football: Nigerian Jewish Communities Bring Unique Flavour to the Global Shabbat Project 2024 Celebrations
Like every other parashah in the Torah, we read the parashat “Vayera” once a year. However, what makes it unique is not just that Avraham Avinu welcomed the visitors, but rather that our synagogues around the world host special events and welcome people to celebrate the beauty of Shabbat. Every time we read Parashat Vayera, tens of hundreds of communities across over a thousand cities worldwide have ignited their Shabbat in honor of the international Shabbat project.
Founded in South Africa in 2013 by Chief Rabbi Dr. Warren Goldstein, the Shabbat Project is driven by passionate volunteer partners who empower their synagogues and community to keep one full Shabbat together. The tradition involves selecting activities from a list to honor the event. Every year, there’s a theme and slogan, which align with the year’s celebration.
This year’s theme was: We have Shabbat; let’s keep it- together. As usual, Jewish communities in Nigeria joined the rest of the world in honoring this special weekend of the Shabbat Project, which made its debut in Nigeria in 2019. At the Beth Ha’arachman Jewish community in southern Nigeria, over 30 women, including younger girls, gathered for a mega challah bake to commemorate the event. It was a four-in-one event consisting of the following:
- Challah baking competition,
- Teaching younger girls how to bake challah,
- Special Kabbalat Shabbat, and
- Communal Shabbat dinner.
Since this was the community’s first women’s mega challah event, the atmosphere was ecstatic. The women who took part in the challah baking competition were divided into 4 groups (team Akwa Ibom, team Nigeria, team South Africa, and team Israel), each headed by a chief baker assisted by the other participants in the group. Ima Shalom BatIsrael, a prominent sponsor of the day and the community’s women’s leader, collaborated with Sarah Emmanuel to instruct the younger girls in “team Nigeria” on the act of challah baking. The Beth Ha’arachman Jewish community manages Brachot Yeshiva School, where most of the girls attend.
Before the start of Shabbat, the men sat at one corner, eager to sample some freshly baked challah. The entire environment was filled with people who made the kabbalat Shabbat so enjoyable and high-spirited through singing. The kiddush was spectacular, with an abundance of challah served, prompting the officiating chazanim to refer to the evening as a “challah night.” After the Birkat Hamazon, it was time for dinner. The woman served a sumptuous meal of local delicacies, and everyone sat around a central table arrangement.
Meanwhile, a few hours ago, prior to the start of Shabbat, members of the Jewish Central Synagogue located in the capital, Uyo, took part in the Shabbat Project in grand style. There was a women’s Shabbat candle lighting to mark the global event, which was presented in a special way as everyone stormed the synagogue in the traditional dress code of the Ibibio outfit to make the day memorable for the newly formed synagogue.
That same evening, on Friday, the 15th of November, 2024, approximately 620 kilometers away from Akwa Ibom state, members of the Maccabi Football Club of Nigeria gathered at the Gihon Hebrew Synagogue to prepare their footballers Shabbat in commemoration of the 2024 Shabbat Project. The players who spent the night at the synagogue guest house led the Kabbalat Shabbat, Shacharit, Dvar Torah, and Mincha Services as part of the international Shabbat Project, a celebration that spans over 100 countries. The special footballers Shabbat by Maccabi Football Club of Nigeria was announced and hailed as an innovative concept by Rabbi Warren Goldstein, the chief rabbi of South Africa, who is the founder of the Shabbat project.
Founded to provide talented Nigerian Jewish footballers with the opportunity to excel in the round leather game, Maccabi Football Club of Nigeria is on the verge of becoming an internationally recognized Jewish team. The Initiative for Progressive Jewish Development (IPJD), Kulanu, African Jewish Voices, and the Avraham Ben Avraham Foundation have sponsored the team, which Shlomo Yaakov, its technical director, and other sports enthusiasts like Yatov Ben Israel put together.
The Footballers Shabbat, which was majorly sponsored by the management of IPJD and the Avraham Ben Avraham Foundation, ended with a colorful Havdalah that was officiated by members of Maccabi Football Club of Nigeria as they await their match on Sunday with a lower division side, XRISO Sporting FC of Nigeria, in Abuja.
The temperature was high in Abuja when both the players, team officials, and spectators started arriving at the Rehinna Model School field in Jukwoyi to witness the novel match marking the #ShabbatProject2024 celebration. Among the spectators were Benjamin Herzberg and Derby Isser, the director of “Camp Sarah,” who graced the occasion despite harsh weather conditions. The Jewish team performed beyond the expectation of some Jewish spectators as they held their opponent to a goalless draw at the end of the first half, making a successful attempt at the goal on several occasions. This elicited joy and high hopes for their supporters, who believe that the team can do better if given the needed support. One of the spectators said something very encouraging.
I am happy with what I am seeing here. Even without staying together as a team, the players still put up a wonderful performance this first half. I believe they will go places if they stay together and train together as a team. You know most of them came from outside Abuja. Some came from Onitsha, Port Harcourt, etc.
Commenting on the match, Derby Isser commended the players for putting up such a performance under such harsh weather conditions.
“The temperature is very high here, and it is surprising that the players are playing. I commend their resilience and commitment. I enjoyed myself.”
The team’s manager and coach, Shlomo Ben Yakov praised the players and advised them to work harder to become better footballers. He highlighted the importance of imbibing Jewish principles into their lives so as to become better players as well as better persons in general. He thanked Rabbi Goldstein for initiating the Shabbat Project, through which many are contributing to the world of Judaism and making it a better place.
Speaking further, Shlomo urged Jews worldwide to assist the team in achieving its vision and mission of serving as a platform for the international discovery of talented Nigerian Jewish footballers. He also hinted that the Maccabi Football Club of Nigeria hopes on making history in Jewish football by participating in the 2025 Maccabi football tournament in Israel. He stated that this will provide the players with the exposure and opportunity to participate in an international competition, something that many have thought would be impossible to achieve through a Jewish route.
XRISO Sporting FC emerged victorious in the match, winning 2-0 thanks to a free kick and a rebound that beat the Maccabi FCN goalkeeper during the second half. Despite losing the match, members of Maccabi FCN believe it will keep getting better. Yerubabel, a player who travelled from Onitsha, Anambra State, southeast Nigeria, spoke to me at the sideline.
‘I can’t say I am happy that we lost today, but as you know, that’s football. You do your best, and whatever result it is at the end of 90 minutes, you take it in good faith. All I can say is that we will keep getting better. You know, I haven’t played with other team members since we formed the team, but our performance today is a promising sign of things to come. We will keep getting better as a team, I am sure. Right now, our focus is on the next game coming up a week from now with the Net Shakers here in Abuja and another bigger one during Hanukkah against a team of Israelis residing here in the capital of Nigeria.”
Photo Gallery:
About The Author
