Black Judaism is
Judaism
Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in t ...
that is predominantly practiced by
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
n communities, both on and outside the African continent (such as
North America) It is theologically characterized by the selective acceptance of the Judaic faith (in some cases such selective acceptance has historical circumstances), and the belief system of Black Judaism is significantly different from the belief system which is adhered to by the
mainstream sects of Judaism.
Significant examples of Black Judaism include Judaism as it is practiced by
African-American Jews in North America.
Black Hebrew Israelites
Black Hebrew Israelites (also called Hebrew Israelites, Black Hebrews, Black Israelites, and African Hebrew Israelites) are groups of African Americans who believe that they are the descendants of the ancient Israelites. Some sub-groups believ ...
are religious groups whose members claim descent from the
Tribes of Israel
The Twelve Tribes of Israel ( he, שִׁבְטֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל, translit=Šīḇṭēy Yīsrāʾēl, lit=Tribes of Israel) are, according to Hebrew scriptures, the descendants of the biblical patriarch Jacob, also known as Israel, thro ...
, but these claims are unfounded, and the group is not recognized as Jewish groups by any Jewish community.
Judaism has been present in
sub-Saharan Africa for centuries. Beginning in the fifteenth century, Jews who were fleeing persecution in Spain and Portugal founded small mixed communities down the west coast of Africa. There was also an identifiable Black Jewish community which was probably of Spanish origin in the west African
Kingdom of Loango
The Kingdom of Loango (also ''Lwããgu'') was a pre- colonial African state, during approximately the 16th to 19th centuries in what is now the western part of the Republic of the Congo, Southern Gabon and Cabinda. Situated to the north of the ...
until the end of the nineteenth century. Moreover, throughout Africa Jewish communities were generated as part of the interaction between colonialism, Christianity and African societies. The connection between colonialism and the development of Jewish identities in South Africa was first shown by the South African Religious Studies scholar David Chidester in 1996. In 2002,
Tudor Parfitt
Tudor Parfitt (born 10 October 1944)
Encyclopedia.com is a British historian, wri ...
, a British historian, argued that the production of Judaic communities was part of the complex symbiosis between African societies, colonialism and
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
and moreover, it was a product of western colonialism throughout the world, from New Zealand to the Americas. He produced many examples of Judaic manifestations which existed throughout sub-Saharan Africa both during and after the colonial period. His argument was that such manifestations of Judaism were often constructed as part of an Othering process by Europeans, and they were often internalized by African communities.
Examples of Black Judaism
Ugandan Judaism
The Abayudaya are a group of
Bagwere
The Gwere people, or ''Bagwere'', are a Bantu ethnic group in Uganda.
Location
The Bagwere occupy an area of 2,388.3 km in eastern Uganda, mostly in Budaka District, Pallisa District and Kibuku District, Butebo District, where they make up ov ...
and
Busoga people who collectively converted to Judaism in the early 20th century, under the leadership of
Semei Kakungulu Semei may be
*Σεμεϊ, the LXX spelling of Shimei
* Semei Kakungulu, Ugandan religious leader
* Treaty of Semei
*Semey
Semey ( kk, Семей, Semei, سەمەي; cyrl, Семей ), until 2007 known as Semipalatinsk (russian: Семип ...
. Persecuted under the regime of
Idi Amin
Idi Amin Dada Oumee (, ; 16 August 2003) was a Ugandan military officer and politician who served as the third president of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. He ruled as a military dictator and is considered one of the most brutal despots in modern w ...
, the community has since revitalized, with a current population of around 2,000 to 3,000 people. Kulanu, an organization which is dedicated to Jewish outreach, has sent emissaries from Israel to help the Abayudaya practice mainstream Judaism and work to be recognized by the
Chief Rabbinate of Israel
The Chief Rabbinate of Israel ( he, הָרַבָּנוּת הָרָאשִׁית לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, ''Ha-Rabbanut Ha-Rashit Li-Yisra'el'') is recognized by law as the supreme rabbinic authority for Judaism in Israel. The Chief Rabbinate C ...
.
Ghanaian Judaism
Nigerian Judaism
North American Black Judaism
Black Judaism in North America is an umbrella of religious movements that developed in North America, particularly the
American South by Black slaves prior to and following the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
. Most commonly associated with this group are the
Hebrew Israelites, who claim to be descended from the
tribes of Israel
The Twelve Tribes of Israel ( he, שִׁבְטֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל, translit=Šīḇṭēy Yīsrāʾēl, lit=Tribes of Israel) are, according to Hebrew scriptures, the descendants of the biblical patriarch Jacob, also known as Israel, thro ...
, but otherwise are varied in their beliefs. Due to this wide variation in the religious beliefs within the Hebrew Israelites and the complex development of these beliefs, scholars have disagreed on how to characterize this religion, arguing the extent to which the origin is a Jewish religious movement and to what extent it is a Black religious movement Both politically and socially, members of this group are usually not considered part of the larger Jewish group, their practices and interpretation often being seen as outside the realm of traditional Judaism.
See also
*
History of the Jews in Africa
African Jewish communities include:
*Sephardi Jews and Mizrahi Jews who primarily live in the Maghreb of North Africa, including Morocco, Algeria, Libya, and Tunisia, as well as Sudan and Egypt. Some were established early in the diaspora; oth ...
References
# Landing, James E.'', Black Judaism: Story of An American Movement.''
# Kay, Andre E., Toward a Typology of Black Hebrew Religious Thought and Practice, ''Journal of Africana Religions ,'' Vol. 2, No. 1 (2014), pp. 31–66.
{{Reflist
African-American Judaism
Jews and Judaism in Africa
Black Hebrew Israelites