Reflections on My Trip to Africa 

Uganda was not on my bucket list of places to visit. However, when my husband and I learned that our rabbi, Rabbi Richard Camras from Hamakom, West Hills, California, was planning to lead a group to Kenya and Uganda, I was intrigued.  Our rabbi has had a relationship for over two decades with Rabbi Gershom Sizomu, the spiritual leader of the Abayudaya Jewish community in Uganda. Rabbi Sizomu received his ordination in 2008 from the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at American Jewish University in Los Angeles, a beneficiary of Torah Fund support. This trip took place over Hanukkah and allowed us to attend the bat mitzvah of Rabbi Sizomu’s youngest daughter. 

We made a quick travel decision because a firm commitment and deposit were needed. This commitment was not only a substantial monetary one, but also included vaccinations, travel visas, the purchase of suitable clothing, and precautions against mosquito bites. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the trip definitely surpassed my expectations. 

How can I describe the safari in Masai Mara Nature Reserve in southwest Kenya? It was truly amazing, breathtaking. The African savannah was beautiful with spectacular sunrises and sunsets and abundant animals and birds. We were fortunate to observe and learn about the behaviors of many animals, some walking very close to our Jeep. Our luxury tents came with bush monkeys jumping on our roof and hippo noises for lullabies. Once night fell, we were instructed not to walk around the camp unescorted, since the animals were moving about unescorted.  

Witnessing the beauty of nature was truly a spiritual experience. 

We flew from Kenya to Entebbe, Uganda, on our way to the Abayudaya community. We visited the site of Israel’s 1976 heroic rescue of the passengers of the plane hijacked by terrorists, Operation Entebbe, led by Yonatan Netanyahu. The next day we began our five-hour drive to Mbale, the city closest to the Abayudaya community, and along the way, we stopped in the city of Jinja for a boat ride on the Nile River. After a very long, very bumpy yet scenic ride, seeing drivers on motorcycles ferrying live chickens or a goat, firewood, or banana branches, we arrived in Mbale. The town is a ten-minute drive from Nabugoye Hill, the largest Abayudaya village. We received a warm greeting, then shared a lovely dinner with Rabbi Sizomu’s family in their home, including his eldest daughter Dafnah,¹ son-in-law Samson Nderitu Njogu, a student at the Ziegler Rabbinical School, and their daughter Shirah, who came from Los Angeles to attend the bat mitzvah. Rabbi Sizomu talked about the hundred-year history of the Jews of Uganda, his time in the Ugandan Parliament, the relationship between the community and their Christian and Moslem neighbors, and the hopes and needs of the community. 

Appropriately for Hanukkah, we even witnessed when the newly installed solar battery backup system came on—donated by our group and Hamakom synagogue—when power went off for a moment on Nabugoye Hill. 

Our next few days were spent touring important sites for the Abayudaya community, including the Stern Synagogue building, the guest rooms, and water tanks on Nabugoye Hill. We toured a primary and a high school and heard about the cultivation of spirulina, a blue green algae rich in protein, vitamins and minerals. This project was spearheaded by students at De Toledo High School, a private Jewish school in West Hills, and the Tobin Health/Dental Center in Mbale. Additionally, we toured the synagogue buildings of the other Abayudaya villages, including one Orthodox and one Sephardic, and met with community leaders. 

While there are many experiences to share from this special trip, my greatest takeaway is the feeling that we all had, of an amazing bond with people whose lives are vastly different from ours, with so much warmth, connection, and sense of belonging. This sense of belonging was demonstrated not only when we were welcomed by the village, but also when we celebrated Shabbat, the bat mitzvah and Hanukah. We could see and feel the kavannah (intent) and ruach (spirit). The Abayudaya people dressed in their finest; their beautiful heartfelt singing voices and drumming, melodic tunes and prayers, made everyone want to stand, sing, clap, sway and move. While some of the Shabbat melodies were different from those to which I am accustomed, it was easy to join in and feel a part of the group.  

This memory will stay with me forever. 

We hope to have a Shabbat service with Abayudaya melodies at Hamakom, to educate and inspire the congregation with a greater understanding of Judaism and show how diversity is one of our greatest strengths. We may come from different backgrounds, but we are “Am Echad-Lev Echad,” “One People-One Heart.” 

With all we saw in Uganda, more needs to be done. The community still struggles financially; it is a third-world country. Things we take for granted like proper health care, medicines, electricity, running water, plumbing, etc. are a luxury for many. Along with Rabbi Camras, our group is committed to supporting the Abayudaya community. To donate, go to the Hamakom website and choose the Abayudaya Fund. To learn more about this fascinating Jewish village in eastern Uganda, please google the Abayudaya or Rabbi Gershom Sizomu. 

¹ Dafnah, Samson, and Shirah Nderitu Njogu attended the 2023 international Women’s League of Conservative Judaism convention in Schaumburg, Illinois.