Letter From Uganda

enoshandshira

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...]

Newly Opened Museum Aims to Show Jews Not a ‘Footnote to Polish History’

The Nathan Rapoport monument to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising heroes. The monument is adjacent to the newly opened Museum of the History of Polish Jews; photo by Cezary Piwowarski.

by Maxine Dovere JNS.org WARSAW - The Museum of the History of Polish Jews is built on the hallowed ground of the Warsaw Ghetto, literally on a site of genocide, at the intersection of Gesia and Nalewki Streets. The main entrance faces a plaza dominated by the Nathan Rapoport memorial, which commemorates the heroes of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. “Where else would it be built?” asked H.E. Ewa Juncyk-Ziomecka, Consul General of Poland in New York. … [Read more...]

How Do You Say Jewish Peoplehood in French?

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...]

Bulgarian Teens Rescue Purim Carnival

Sofia Carnival 1

Few programs can draw people to Jewish life like a Purim carnival. Indeed, there is a timeless charm to the classic scene: teenagers making homemade games for costumed kids running from station with fists full of tickets and faces speckled with hamentaschen crumbs. So when a few dozen teens from the newly invigorated Hashomer Hatzair youth movement in Sofia, Bulgaria - led by their Jewish Agency Shaliach - learned that this year’s carnival could be scaled back, they rose to the occasion. “The Jewish community told us that without us, they couldn’t have as large a carnival,” said Emil Magrisso, The Jewish Agency’s Shaliach to Hashomer Hatzair in Bulgaria. “Our counselors provided essential help.” And Purim just wouldn’t be the same without one. For the last 50 years, the Jewish … [Read more...]

The Museum of Jewish Past and Future

Jewish home exhibit in Dnipropetrovsk Jewish Museum; courtesy public relations department of The Jewish Memory and Holocaust in Ukraine Museum

by Ian Shulman The Jewish Memory and Holocaust in Ukraine Museum, the biggest post-USSR Jewish memorial complex newly opened in Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine, was declared to have a somewhat larger focus group than other Jewish establishments of the city. Just like the Menorah Jewish Community Center, where the museum is situated, it aspires to attract people of all beliefs, heritage and interests. A Jewish museum rarely becomes a major attraction for non-Jewish public, but looks like the rule is going to be broken in Dnipropetrovsk, and here are some reasons: The museum is accessible. It is not only that one can find the exhibition in the very center of the city and enter it for free with no need to speak to a doorman or a cashier. No prior knowledge of Judaism or Jewish culture is … [Read more...]

A Musical Journey to Andhra Pradesh

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A Musical Journey to Andhra Pradesh: Understanding the Bnei Ephraim by Irene Orleansky I have always been fascinated by the story of the lost tribes and wished to contribute to their return to Zion. Being neither an anthropologist nor a politician, I decided to go about it using my own talent, music. That is how in January of 2012, equipped with a small mobile studio, I came to start my journey through Africa and Asia to record a CD of music of the lost tribes. After visiting the African Hebrew communities in Ghana, Uganda, Kenya and Ethiopia and then Kaifeng, China my next destination was India. … [Read more...]