Uganda
The Ugandan Jewish community began with one man, Semei Kakungulu, a military leader who converted to Judaism in 1919. He circumcised himself and his sons and began to follow the laws of the Bible, as did his followers. As the community, called the Abayudaya, made contact with Jews from other parts of the world, they began to observe rabbinic law, as well. In 2002, the Abayudaya underwent a formal conversion but the Israeli rabbinate did not accept the conversion, therefore not allowing the Abayudaya to move to Israel under the Law of Return.
Today, about 1000 Abayudaya Jews live in Uganda.
March 1, 2019
