Peter Decherney

Uganda Abayudaya (Jewish) elder J.J. Keki and his sons hike and sing their way to the cave synagogue where Jews prayed secretly during dictator Idi Amin’s reign. Keki’s father was part of the first generation of Ugandans who converted to Judaism in the 1910/20s and grew to over 8000 members before Idi Amin outlawed it in 1972.

Grammy-nominated Ugandan Jewish singer Rachel Namadosi reflects on growing up Jewish in Uganda as she goes about her busy day and looks forward to her day of rest, Shabbat.

There has been a Jewish community in Ethiopia for 2000 years. The origin of this community is still a matter of speculation and dispute since they were cut off from global Jewish communities until the mid-19th century. Over the last 40 years, more than 100,000 Ethiopian Jews have emigrated to Israel. One group, however, has been left behind, because their families were converted to Christianity by missionaries in the late nineteenth century.