Enosh Keki Mainah, leader of the Sheerit Yisrael Kehila of Uganda, official request for recognition from Chief Rabbinate

Shalom Haberim, HASHEM Immaakhem!

I am very glad to disclose my identity to you. My name is Enosh Keki Mainah secretary of a group known as Kahal Kadosh Sheerit Yisrael - Jews of Uganda. Our group is an offshoot from the main branch known as the "Abayudaya community" that emerged around 1917. The term "Abayudaya" is a Lugandan dialect meaning Jews. The practice and observance of all mitzvoth described in the Tanach was a transmission from Kakungulu's generation via Samson Mugombe towards our generation. Kakangulu, who was governor of the region, was the founder of Judaism in Eastern Uganda.

The community experienced great obstacles especially during the regime of Idi Amini who banned the practice of Judaism in Uganda. Despite the fact that by the time Kakungulu died, the community had 3000 members, this number deteriorated in order to survive and dodge the harsh punishments that were imposed by the dictatorial government of Idi Amin. The few that remained are those who joined the conservative sect (the Abayudaya) and our group (Kahal Kadosh Sheerit Yisrael) that seeks recognition as Jews, and is happy to undergo an orthodox giur if required. The Sheerit Yisrael community also desires to return home and join the Jewish People in Eretz Yisrael.

To brief you a little about the Sheerit Yisrael community, we are a group consisting of 130 members, 80 of whom are children under the age of 17. The Sheerit Yisrael community is situated in Putti village, which is in Kabwangasi Sub-County, Pallisa District -Uganda.

We respect and believe in the revelation at Sinai and study and observe the halacha. Our aim in achieving an orthodox giur is to receive recognition as Jews and members of Am Yisrael. We feel a great love for the Jewish People and feel the pain of our brothers and sisters in Israel. We hope every day to join our brothers and sisters in Israel. We all live in a settlement located near the Putti village. We set up our own settlement in which to live so that we could live apart from the non-Jews nearby and study and practice halacha in peace, without non-Jews attacking or bothering us. This has made it easier for us to learn and practice Judaism. We pray three times a day (Shacharit, Min'cha and Ar'bit), practice saying blessings over certain occasions, like prayer for thunder and lightening, prayer before and after eating or drinking, and the study of Hebrew & Judaica.

We are farmers who practice subsistence farming. Our group observances are listed below:

Shabbat - this is our day of delight on which all members abstain from all manners of melacha/work. The day commences 15 minutes before dusk and starts by lighting the Shabbat candles.

We celebrate the major Jewish festivals, including Pesach where all members fast from touching, eating and seeing any Hametz for seven days, Shabauot commemorates the receipt of the Torah on Har Sinai and is observed for two consecutive days, while Sukkot commemorates the construction of booths while we traveled in the desert and lasts for seven days. Other festivals like Rosh Hashanah that commemorates the sounding of the Shofar, and Yom Kippur on which all members punish their lives by abstaining from eating and drinking anything are all observed by our kehilla. Though Chanukah and Purim are considered minor festivals due to the fact that they are not positive precepts, our community acknowledges all the great events that happened on these days, as such they are observed too. We also keep the fasts of Esther, 17th of Tammuz, Fast of Ab (equivalent to Yom Kippur in the duration of hours) and fast of Gedaliah.

As regards kashrut, we neither eat meat together with milk nor chicken together with eggs. As a result of lacking kosher butcheries in the country, we abandoned eating any meat and chicken. However, eating eggs (without blood), taking some milk and eating fish that has fins and scales are common in the group.

The mitzvah of Nidah is strictly observed amongst the members of our group. Women and men sleep in separate beds during this period and keep the halachot of nidah very strictly.

For minyan, we only consider men from the age of 13 and upward, and of course require a group of ten. No Amidah and Opening of the ark is done in absence of ten men. This practice is not common in other communities and really makes us very unique from the rest of our brothers in Uganda.

We truly yearn for the orthodox giur and are happy to observe Halacha according to the directions and teachings of the Rabbis. We have grown up thinking and being told by our parents that we were Jews, and kept the halachot the best we could, always trying to learn more. We feel that we are a part of Am Yisrael, we cry and feel the pain when Jews are hurt, we love Hashem our God, we believe in matan torah, we hope so much to join our brothers in Eretz Yisrael. Our dreams and hopes rest with you, we pray to Hashem, that you find us worthy as members of Am Yisrael, or help us undergo a giur if we require it, ken yehi razon.

B'ahabat Yisrael,
Enosh Keki Mainah