(By Enosh K.Mainah Ben Abraham - History student IUIU).

Please note that the entirety of this article was written by Enosh and other members of the Ugandan Jewish Community. It has been edited for grammar by a native English speaker, but no content was changed.
Who Are the Abayudaya?

Abayudaya is a word from Luganda (one of the common languages of Uganda). It is in plural, and is the Ugandan equivalent of "Jews" - the singular is "Omuyudaya" i.e. a "Jew". The adherents of Judaism are therefore referred to as ABAYUDAYA in Uganda.

The Abayudaya emerged as the first Jewish community in Uganda around 1917-1920, founded by Semei Kakungulu. He was described as a "warrior and governor". Semei Kakungulu, who ruled Uganda, distinguished himself as a king of "Bukedi". He closely studied and meditated on the Tanach and developed an appetite to adopt an observance that was similar to those of Bnei Yisrael - The Jewish People. Formally Kakungulu was practicing a malakite faith, a mixture of Judaism and Christianity that nowadays could be referred to as "Messianic Judaism".

However Kakungulu would discard the Christian elements of his faith after coming across a verse in the Tanach stating "era Nabanagwangwa ebagata Ne Mukama" a verse quoted in Isaiah 56: 1-8) which stated that Gentiles who unite and choose to observe the Mitzvah of Hashem would be accounted a blessing. Kakungulu decided to adopt and practice only the Mitzvot (laws) written in the Tanach - the "Old Testament" - Chumash. Being very ambitious with his new unique faith, Kakungulu, his family and all his followers circumcised all their foreskins and declared to observe the mitzvah of Brit Milah from that day onwards, a practice carried on up to this day. With that astonishing act, the neighboring communities were very surprised and Kakungulu's act prompted the neighboring Christian and Muslim communities to refer to Kakungulu and his community as the "Abayudaya abata Yesu" translated as "Jews who murdered Jesus". This was a phrase aimed at discouraging Kakungulu and his followers but as a result of the gentile's criticism of the adoption of the mitzvoth, Kakungulu and his followers would proudly adopt the title Abaydaya - the Jews of Uganda.

Semei Kakungulu, a few days after the circumcision date composed a book of laws that was to govern the Abayudaya - principally based on the Torah. Among the laws were the observance of Shabbat as said in the scripture, "V'shamru B'nei Yisrael Et Hashabbat" (Sh'mot 31:16-17) translated in English as "And the Children of Israel shall keep the Shabbat…"(Exodus 31:16-17)

According to Semei K. Shabbat was a day meant for rest from all manners of handwork and the Abayudaya by that time only went for prayers in the synagogue and thereafter would turn to Kakungulu's home (which was by then called a palace) for drinks and eatables that were prepared the day before Shabbat. No community member was to be found working on Shabbat and who ever was discovered doing so was answerable to Kakungulu's court of law. Other laws included respect and separation of women while in nidah (menstruation period) as well as the other laws of family purity found in the Torah. However, of all the laws the observation of Shabbat was the most paramount one.

Being a leader who loved Jewish traditions, he spent most of his time concentrating on the study of Torah. History asserts clearly that Kakungulu was responsible for ordaining teachers that he delegated to other synagogues to go and lead services set up in other districts. It should also be noted that the above teachers played a role of not only teaching in the synagogue but were also appointed as Chiefs in a political sense - hence one appointed serving two purposes;
I. Of teaching the community that involved mobilizing members in a specific area towards prayers and leading services in the synagogue.
II. And the other task was administration. Since Kakungulu was a governor of Bukedi (Eastern province), he had all the powers of appointing chiefs but one could not win the post of being a chief unless he was "Omuyudaya (a Jew)" and passed through Kakungulu's school of Judaica as "Omusomesa" "synagogue leader."

Among the synagogues of his time were the Nasenyi synagogue, Namutumba, Putti Synagogue etc. The Putti Synogogue is today known as Beit Knesset She'erit Yisrael. Beit Knesset She'erit Yisrael is comprised of members who are known as the Kahal Kadosh She'erti Yisrael - the community of Jews in Uganda who are yearning for an orthodox giur (conversion). However we shall tackle this in the details to follow but our concern right now is how this community came to adopt the Jewish culture?

The coming of a white Jew known as Yosef in 1920 whose ancestral route is believed to have been European, contributed much towards the community's discovery about the seasons in which Jewish Festivals like Pesach, Shavuot, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Succot etc. take place. A source in the Abayudaya community confirms that the first Jew to visit the community was Yosef who stayed with and taught the community for about six months. Owing to the above source, it's therefore right to conclude that the first Jewish calendar to be introduced in the Abayudaya community was brought by Yosef.

Further more, the laws concerning Kashrut were first introduced to the community by Yosef. The She'erit Yisrael community continues to practice kashrut today. It is therefore because of Josef's teachings in the community that Semei Kakungulu realized the need for establishing a school that acted as a Yeshiva with the purpose of passing on and teaching the skills and knowledge first attained from Yosef. Unfortunately by the time Semei's dreams were starting to become a reality, tetanus attacked him and eventually died in 1928 and all of his plans deteriorated. However, because he had already laid a foundation for the community by training future leaders, remnants of the Abayudaya continue to exist till today - and now the She'erit Yisrael community is looking for help in their desire to undergo a orthodox giur and make aliyah. Chazakk U-ubarukh!