by Avi Rubel Last week, while on a personal visit to Uganda, I had the privilege of spending Shabbat with the Abayudaya Jewish community. It was inspirational and also challenged my perception of Jewish peoplehood and of what it means to be part of klal yisrael. In an email exchange before going to visit the Abuyadaya, a friend wrote that it “sounds cool, but are they really Jewish?” From all I could gather on the internet, I learned that the Abayudaya are a Jewish community that has its origins at the turn of the twentieth century. It’s not clear exactly why they chose to begin practicing Judaism, but several community leaders began to follow the Torah and to observe Jewish laws. During the reign of Idi Amin in the 1970s, Judaism was banned and many intermarried. Following the Idi … [Read more...]

How do you say Jewish Peoplehood in French? The answer is: you don't. by Smadar Bar-Akiva There isn't such a word in French. Once again this demonstrates how very often the North America-Israel dialogue leaves out other countries and cultures. At the same time, when you dig deep down at what does Peoplehood or Amiut (in Hebrew) actually mean, French Jews fit right in. As individuals and as a community they strongly feel a sense of belonging to the Jewish People and a shared responsibility with other Jews. Moreover, as a new Israel-overseas paradigm that may challenge the centrality of Israel evolves, for French Jews this is not the case. Their personal and communal ties to Israel are unquestionable. In fact this "love without conditions"- as paraphrased by Jo Amar, the Director of Culture, … [Read more...]