Abayudaya Jew Seth Yonadav on the phone in front of Moses Synagogue, Nabugoye Village, Mbale, Uganda. August 2013. Image by Jono David

By Sam Kestenbaum August 18, 2017

The Maryland Jewish community has raised thousands of dollors in an emergency fundraising campaign to help Uganda’s small Jewish community amidst an ongoing famine in East Africa.

Members of the Jewish Federation of Howard County, Maryland, partnered with the Howard County Board of Rabbis and raised more than $10,000 in less than a week, the Baltimore Sun reported.

The federation will keep the campaign open through the end of August, the Sun reported. Funds are sent to the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee humanitarian organization and then distributed to Be’chol Lashon, an American Jewish outreach group which has been involved with the Abayudaya for decades.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

The Abayudaya number around 2,000 and have been practicing Judaism for around a century, with most of its members converting under Conservative Jewish rabbis about 15 years ago. The community is led by Rabbi Gershom Sizomu, a California-trained cleric who was also elected to Ugandan parliament last year.

At least two members of the Abayudaya community have died from malnutrition amidst the widespread drought.

“I felt that as a Jewish community we could do something to alleviate the suffering that’s taking place there,” Ralph Grunewald, the interim executive director at the Jewish Federation of Howard County told the Sun.

Email Sam Kestenbaum at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter at @skestenbaum

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

With your support, we’ll be ready for whatever 2025 brings.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount