Abayudaya
| Abayudaya | |
| Total population: | 500 (est.) |
| Significant populations in: |
Uganda 500 (est.) |
| Language | Luganda, and in some cases Hebrew. |
| Religion | Judaism |
| Related ethnic groups |
In terms of traditions: |
The Abayudaya are a population in Uganda who practice Judaism. Although they are not related to other ethnic Jews, they are generally devout in their practice of the religion, keep the Kosher laws, observe the Jewish Sabbath, and seek recognition from Jews elsewhere as part of world Jewry.
Their population is estimated around 500, having once been as large as 3,000; like their neighbors, they are subsistence farmers. They speak Luganda, although some have chosen to learn Hebrew as well.
The sect owes its origin to Muganda military leader Semei Kakungulu. In 1913, he became a Malachite, a belief system combined Christianity, Judaism, and Christian Science. In 1919, Kakungulu had become far more clearly Jewish in his practices: he circumcised his sons and himself and declared his community Jewish. According to [1], "he fled to the foot of Mt. Elgon at a place called Gangama where he started a separatist sect known as Kibina Kya Bayudaya Absesiga Katonda (the Community of Jews who trust in the Lord)."
After Kakungulu's death, his followers divided into a group that reverted to Christianit and another, the Abayudaya, that became devout Jews. They isolated themselves for self-protection and survived a number of anti-Semitic regimes, including that of Idi Amin, who outlawed Jewish rituals and destroyed synagogues.
In the 1960s and '70s the Abayudaya began a moderately successful effort to establish contacts with Jews in Israel and elsewhere in the world. The sect underwent a revival in the 1980s, centered on a self-described "Kibbutz Movement."
As of 2002, most of the community lives around the Moses synagogue in Mbale or the nearby synagogue in the village of Namanyoyi. Others live several from Mbale in Pallisa, which has two synagogues. A fifth synagogue is in Namatumba, approximately 70 km distant.
External links
This article draws heavily on [2].