They are not Jewish, but they follow Judaism as though they were the 13th tribe. Situated in a remote rural area of East Uganda, in the village of Putti, 350 members of the Abayudaya community share a spiritual home, marked by the “Knesset She'erit Yisrael”. Impressive for its simplicity and for the value which it holds, the synagogue is made of handmade bricks. An Israeli flag, few writings in Hebrew and a white cloth as Mechitzah, a cement pedestal to host the Sefer Torah, a modest library with few pray books and some 30 chairs make this place the dwelling of Abayudaya identity.

 

The Abayudaya developed a distinct style of spiritual music, converting the text of the Torah prayers to African melodies and rhythms. The songs in Hebrew and Luganda, one of the local languages, give Jewish spirituality a touch of African vibe. Following the orthodox tradition, Abayudaya pray three times a day, observe Shabbat and the main Jewish holidays, women go to the mikveh for the monthly ritual immersion.

 

Shmuel, an Abayudaya from Kampala tells the story of his conversion: “I was 20 years old, after finding out about the discrepancies between the Old and New Testament, I stopped going to Church. While re-reading the Bible I was fascinated by the precepts and simplicity of Judaism. I got circumcised, I wanted to be part of this people. In 2011, while working in the police force, I met two Israelis who were collaborating with us on an anti-terrorism project. I asked them about the God of the Jewish people of whom I read a lot in the Bible and they advised me to visit the website Jewfac.com. While reading the website, I recognized myself as a Jew. Immediately, I wanted to join a minyan and I asked advice on the blog of the site. Eventually, I realized that I was not alone and that I could count on the Putti Community. In this way, I met Rabbi Gershom of the Putti Village, who started teaching me the Jewish religion. While interviewing Shmuel, his three children, Moshe, Tshuva and Samson, are stuck in front of the small cathode screen, watching the Ten Commandments by Cecil B. DeMille.

 

THE HISTORY OF THE ABAYUDAYA

 

The Abayudaya trace the origin of their religious back to the affiliation to Samei Kakungulu, a military officer and elephant hunter who was converted by English protestant and French Catholic missionaries. Around 1920, he read the five books of Moses and decided to convert to Judaism, without ever having met a Jew. He circumcised himself, his sons and the members of his community. At the end of the first year Kakungulu had gathered over 8000 followers, declaring the first Jewish community of Uganda. Following his death, the community continued to follow the precepts of their spiritual guide, creating a community which today counts 1000 members scattered throughout the Ugandan territory.

 

Throughout their relatively short existence, the Abayudaya experienced persecution and discrimination. In 1971, during the dictatorship of Idi Amin, Judaism was banned. 32 synagogues were closed or destroyed and many of the community members were converted to Islam or Christianity, causing 3000 Abayudaya to abandon their faith. Only a small group of believers continued the traditions, thus ensuring the survival of Judaism and the creation of a third generation of Abayudaya.

 

LIVING IN PUTTI VILLAGE

In Putti Village, which is comprised of 1500 people, there are around 300 Jews living peacefully with their Christian and Muslim neighbors, often sharing the little water and fruits that the land has to offer. Among the Jews, there is both an orthodox and a liberal community, and relations between the two are not always pleasant. Only 30km separates the orthodox community of Putti from the liberal one and there are sometimes tension between the two.

Life in Putti is not easy. The community relies on subsistence farming, cultivating cassava, corn, millet, rice, potatoes, bananas and mangos, which are the staple ingredients of the local diet. Access to clean water is limited to a few tanks a day per family, which causes numerous hygiene problems and health problems especially among children. Electricity does not reach this remote area; only few houses and the synagogue are illuminated by solar panels installed by Innovation Africa, an Israeli NGO. Education is a luxury; only few children are granted the privilege of receiving scholarships to go to school.

 

THE RECOGNITION OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL

 

Although the history of the Abayudaya is not a millenary one, the Abayudaya have succeeded in creating a strong bond to the greater Jewish world. At present, the Jewish community of Putti Village is seeking Orthodox conversion and hopes to get full recognition from the State of Israel to be able to send some of its leaders to study in the country.

 

Until now, there have been over 200 people who have been converted to Judaism. Among them, the young Abayudaya dream to receive the Right of Return, making Alyia and continuing their agricultural activities in Israeli kibbutzim. The older generation, however, do not wish to leave their home, but rather to learn more about Judaism and receive support from Israel in case of religious persecution.

There are only three people from Putti Village who have visited Israel. Among them is the 29-year old Moshe Madoi, who has been sent to the Yeshiva Oher Torah Stone, in Efrat to study the practice of Skitha. Moshe explains: “When Rabbi Riskin visited Putti village and noticed that people were vegetarian because there was no kosher meat, he offered me a scholarship in Israel to become Shocket in my village”.

 

Moshe is also a Jewish studies and Hebrew teacher at the Jonathan Netanyahu elementary school, where he has introduced a new method to teach with Skype. Through the small screen of his laptop, dozens of children receive distance learning education. Moshe dreams about moving to Israel for two years and wishes to become a rabbi and convert his community.

In 2015, the Abayudaya have officially been recognized by the Jewish Agency. Despite this important success, the Abayudaya do not easily receive tourist visa to visit Israel. The process of recognition of the Abayudaya by the State of Israel is advancing slowly, but it will not happen overnight. Despite all these difficulties, Putti villagers continue to smile at life, hoping to find sustainable solutions to improve the quality life and strengthen their Jewish identity.