History of the Abayudaya Jewish Community
By Gershom Sizomu
The Abayudaya Community was founded in 1919 by Semei Kakungulu, a Muganda military general who had distinguished himself as a talented and committed soldier. He goes down in the books of African History as a collaborator to British Imperialism. Born in 1860, Kakungulu came in contact with Church missionary society (in the late 1880s) which expected to use his political position to bring Ugandans under the church. Thus Kakungulu was instructed and given a Christian Bible (both the old and new testament). By 1913 Kakungulu had begun to critically compare between the old and the new testament. His critical reviews and comparisons brought him closer to Judaism. He began serious arguments with the church on various matters regarding the law. He argued that there was no reason to ignore the voice of God speaking in the Torah.
By late 1918 and early 1919, he had made his position on faith clear by rejecting the celebration of Christmas and by circumcision of himself and his children. He thus begun to preach his new faith and by the end of 1919 he had about 8000 followers, 3000 of whom had accepted circumcision. When the missionaries together with their Christian neighbors told them that they were behaving like "Christ Killers," they proudly announced (in Luganda language "okuva lelo tuli Bayudaya abasinza Katonda omu, omuyinza webintu byonna" meaning "From today onwards, we are Jews (Abayudaya)" servants of the one Almighty and most high God. (as opposed to Jesus). Note: Ugandan writers avoided the association of Kakungulu to Judaism and so they referred to Abayudaya as "the community of one Almighty God". Kakungulu and his followers begun to observe Shabbat, Kashrut, festivals, laws of ritual purity and other rules following the interpretation of Kakungulu as the Rabbi and teacher of the Law. He trained many others including, Samson Mugombe (he became the spiritual leader after Kakungulu), Zakayo Mumbya, Yokanah (Yonadav) Keki (he was the Mohel and Shochet, and father of the current community leaders, JJ Keki, Aaron Kintu Moses, Gershom Sizomu and Seth Yonadav), Eriya Musamba, Yekoyasi Kaweke (Uganda's unrecognized first feminist who allowed women to eat chicken, a delicacy traditionally reserved for men), Yakobo (Chazan), Yakobbo Kasakya, Zakayo Luwandi (a reverend who abandoned Christianity, converted to Judaism and became the rabbi of Namutumba community), Mubbale Petero (Chazan), Zakayo Baloozi Yakobbo Bossa (he later became blind and neighbors attributed it to failure to accept Jesus, his wife is still alive at the age of 106). This great team of Kakungulu's Talmidei Chachamim was known as the "Basomessa" meaning Teachers when it came to teaching the tenets of the faith, "Bakabonna" Kohanim, when it came to offering the Paschal lamb and other Synagogue duties.
In 1926, a Palestinian Jewish trader Yosef and his colleague Moshe were told about the Abayudaya. The two visited and were compelled to stay in the community for six months and provide instruction to Kakungulu and his team on matters of rabbinic Judaism. Members of the community who lived at that time remember going to a Beth Din and Mikvah that was constructed at that time and which was used in 2002 by a Beth Din of 5 conservative rabbis led by Rabbi Howard Gorin of Tikvat Israel Congregation.
In 1928, Kakungulu succumbed to pneumonia probably because he resisted treatment by Christian health workers. The years following the death of Kakungulu were difficult for the community. No one was capable of filling the leadership vacuum that Kakungulu had left. The missionaries took advantage of the situation and required young Abayudaya men and women to convert to Christianity in order for them to get into the then missionary controlled schools. As a result, the community lost a multitude of its youth to Christianity. Those who managed to resist missionary education remained backward, illiterate and poor. In 1936 Samson Mugombe took over as the main rabbi and spiritual leader of the community. Under his leadership the community came to the attention of some Jews from outside of Uganda.
In the 60s the community was in touch with the Israel embassy in Kampala which helped in getting Siddurim, machzorim and other Hebrew books to the community. Plans to have two young men from the community to study in a Yeshivah in Jerusalem were hampered by the poor political atmosphere in the early 70s.
When Field Marshal Iddi Amin Dada took power by way of the gun, he outlawed Judaism and confiscated our Synagogues and most of the Hebrew books. Practice of Judaism was punishable by death. He gave the community two alternatives, either to convert to Islam/Christianity or remain an affiliated. He murdered anyone suspected of opposing his rule. The archbishop of the Church of Uganda was run over by army trucks in a staged accident and the chief Justice was shot dead on Amin's orders. Children would shout insults at us and the teachers did nothing to stop them. My father was caught studying Torah in the Sukkah he built in the back yard but survived after the scout demanded a bribe. Three leaders of the community who attempted to gather the roof of our main Synagogue that had been blown away by a storm in 1976 were caught and battered by Amin's scouts. In the same year when a hijacked plane full of Jews was held at Entebbe, a fast was secretly declared and silent prayers were conducted, each family praying in their bedrooms. The daring rescue of the hostages gave hope to community members that sooner or later Amin would go. This came to pass on Wednesday 11 April, 1979 corresponding to 14 Nisan, 5739 Erev Pesach when the new Government comprising of Ugandan rebels and Tanzanian troupes declared freedom of worship. This became a miracle in the history of the community and was celebrated by slaughter of Lambs that were eaten to remember the Churban Pessach. Pesach remains a special moment for all us particularly that it was my first Seder ever. It felt good that the reign of terror ended into freedom just at the right moment. That Uganda would be a Jewish state had the proposal been successful, that the hijackers chose Entebbe airport as their final resting place, and that Amin like Pharoah was humiliated on the Eve of Pesach could not have simply been a mere coincidence. The secret hand of God influenced and continues to have influence.
To be continued...
