In the past year, Jews have grappled with ideas around race, diversity and inclusion like never before. The Bush Report on racial inclusivity in the Jewish community, published by the Board of Deputies in April 2021, highlighted the false assumption that all Jews are essentially white and European and sought to investigate discrimination against Jews of colour within the Jewish community. In a landmark series, the Lyons Learning Project and Jewish Renaissance demonstrate just how far from the truth this is. First we look at the Bush Report with Marie van der Zyl, president of the Board of Deputies, and hear from black Jews in the UK, who will share some of their experiences, then we widen the frame for rare insights into Jewish life in Africa.
Should you be interested in following up this event series, we've compiled a document featuring more information and contact details, which you can download here. Be sure to check your downloads folder after clicking, as the file will download automatically.
JR has an ethical ticketing policy and is offering free tickets to these events, but if you can afford it, please donate to support our work. We are proposing denominations of 18 – the numerical value of the Hebrew word 'chai', meaning 'life'.
Sunday 13 June
Black British Jewish Lives: The Bush Report
Guest speakers: Marie van der Zyl was appointed president of the Board of Deputies in 2018, she is also an accomplished employment lawyer, played a crucial role in the fight against antisemitism in the Labour Party and was voted '40th most influential Jew' by The Jerusalem Post. She’ll be joined by black British Jewish journalist Stephen Bush, who led the Board’s 10-month investigation on racial inclusivity in the Jewish community. "I hope my report will enhance communal life for black Jews, Jews of colour and Sephardi, Mizrahi and Yemenite Jews," said Bush of his findings. "My recommendations cover vast swathes of communal life and draw on best practice from across our community." The pair will discuss the landmark commission.
Sunday 20 June
Black British Jewish Lives: The Significant Presence of Black British Jews
A panel of black British Jews from different backgrounds share some of their experiences within the Jewish community and reflect on the progress made in the past year.
Guest speaker: Kenneth Awele Okafor, a British Jew with Nigerian Igbo, Maghreb and Sephardi heritage. He is a member of Seven Hills Synagogue in Sheffield and promotes awareness for African Judaism in the UK.
Sunday 27 June
African Jewish Lives: The Ethiopian Jews Left Behind
In 1991 Israel launched Operation Solomon and rescued over 14,000 Ethiopian Jews from the civil war then raging in Ethiopia. In the following years they supported a steady emigration and brought most of the remnants to Israel. Most, but not all. There is still a sizeable Jewish community that remains to this day, who are a persecuted minority within the country.
Guest speakers: Hear from political activist Avraham Neguise, who was born in Gondar, Ethiopia, and emigrated to Israel in 1985. He campaigns for the return to Israel of those left in Ethiopia, as well as against the discrimination faced by many Ethiopian Israelis upon arrival. Plus Rabbi Sybil Sheridan, executive director of the progressive adult Jewish learning forum, Lyons Learning Project.
Sunday 4 July
African Jewish Lives: Bal Ej – The Secret Jews of Ethiopia
In the last 30 years, the persecuted Jews of Ethiopia have been making a gradual escape to Israel. However, there is another Jewish community in Ethiopia, one that has only become known in recent years. For hundreds of years they were like the Anusim in Spain and Portugal, outwardly behaving as Christians and practicing Judaism in secret caves hidden from the world. Now, a new generation who feel safe to declare their Judaism openly, are seeking aliyah to Israel.
Guest speakers: Michael Moges and Belayne Tezabku, leaders of Kechene synagogue in Addis Abbaba, will show viewers round their synagogue and offer fascinating insights into this 'secret' Jewish community. Plus Israeli anthropologist Malka Shabtay, whose film Finding the Lost Jewish Tribes of Ethiopia is part of a campaign to have the Bal Ej recognised by Israel as a Jewish community.
Sunday 11 July
African Jewish Lives: The Lemba in Southern Africa
The Lemba are a Bantu tribe living in South Africa and Zimbabwe, who have a folk memory of migrating from a region called Lemba on the Dead Sea around the time of the Babylonian captivity. Historian Tudor Parfitt took DNA samples from their priests and discovered they had the ‘Cohen gene’, which links Jewish communities round the world.
For thousands of years, Lemba have cherished legends of how their ancestors came from Israel, and many of their religious, cultural and social practices are semitic in origin. In recent years, however, many have also begun to adopt the practices of contemporary Judaism and build a new kind of Jewish community.
Guest speakers: Rabson Wuriga, author and scholar of the Lemba Jewish community of Zimbabwe, reveals more about the burgeoning Judaism of the Lemba people. Plus Israeli anthropologist Malka Shabtay, whose film Finding the Lost Jewish Tribes of Ethiopia is part of a campaign to have the Bal Ej recognised by Israel as a Jewish community.
Sunday 18 July
African Jewish Lives: The Hebrew Igbo of Nigeria
At an estimated 50 million people, the Igbo are one of Nigeria’s largest ethnic groups. Like the Lemba of Zimbabwe, many Igbo believe their ancestors came from Israel. The word Igbo may be derived from 'Ivri' ('Hebrew') and their experience of prejudice and persecution over the centuries at the hand of other African tribes has extraordinary parallels with Jews in Europe. They claim to be from the lost tribes of Israel and their practice is far closer to that of the Hebrew Bible than anything we do.
Guest speakers: Remy Ilona, secretary general of the Hebrew Igbo people, explores the similarities between Igbo and jewish culture and argues that they are in fact identical. Plus Israeli anthropologist Malka Shabtay, whose film Finding the Lost Jewish Tribes of Ethiopia is part of a campaign to have the Bal Ej recognised by Israel as a Jewish community.
Sunday 25 July
African Jewish Lives: The Abayudaya of Uganda
The Ugandan Abayudaya owe their origins to Semei Kakungulu, who in the early years of the 20th century renounced Christianity and circumcised himself and his followers. They followed biblical practice until visiting Jews taught them about rabbinic Judaism. In 2002 they formally converted to Judaism through the American Conservative movement and some have subsequently undergone Orthodox conversions.
Guest speakers: Rabbi Gershom Sizomu, the first native African to receive Semicha (rabbinic ordination). He is chief rabbi to the Abayudaya and the first Jewish member of Ugandan Parliament. Plus Israeli anthropologist Malka Shabtay, whose film Finding the Lost Jewish Tribes of Ethiopia is part of a campaign to have the Bal Ej recognised by Israel as a Jewish community.
