Judaism Grows in Africa
By Larry Cohler-Esses December 27, 2016
Read the Original Stories Here
From Madagascar to Zimbabwe, Jews, would-be Jews and thousands of Africans who are simply Jewish-curious are turning up. The phenomenon is continent-wide. but nowhere is the story more amazing than in Nigeria, where the Igbo—at 30 million people, one of the country’s major ethnic groups—have long seen themselves as descended from the ancient Israelites.
Now, with encouragement from two mainstream Jewish groups with very different agendas, some Igbo villages are taking this a step further; they are beginning to practice their own form of traditional Judaism directly, complete with holiday observances and services, and making a claim on mainstream Jewry to be included as part of today’s Jewish people.
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.
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
