Johannesburg - The symbol painted on the outside wall of the simple face-brick home used to be a common one in Yeoville.
For over a century, the Star of David was a sign of the vibrant Jewish community living in the heart of the city. Since 1994, this star has waned, as many Jewish residents left the suburb.
Now it has returned, drawing strength from an unexpected source.
The house on Regent Street is a synagogue belonging to a small group of Nigerian Jews.
Members of the Beth-El Messianic Assembly are black Jews from the Igbo tribe of Nigeria. They claim to be direct descendants of the biblical Gad, son of Jacob, and that their ancestors moved to West Africa after being exiled during the destruction of the First Temple.
Rabbi Natan Obiekwe said most of the Jews who found their way to Nigeria became Christians. As the influence of Christianity and colonialism grew, those who still identified as Jews combined Jewish law with elements of Christianity.
Yeoville’s Igbo Jews abide by most Orthodox Jewish laws, but incorporate the belief that Jesus, or “Yeshua”, as they call him, is the messiah. This means they are not recognised as Jews by mainstream Judaism.
Nevertheless, the community abides by the Orthodox Beth Din’s standards of kosher, and legal rulings.
“I have a good relationship with some of the Orthodox Joburg rabbis, but the Igbos are not properly recognised as Jews here,” Obiekwe said.
“They want me to convert, but how can I convert to a religion I already belong to? It doesn’t make sense.”
Beth-El congregant Tony Anuluoye said he had met a number of Jews who question his Jewish heritage.
“They look at me like I’m crazy,” he said. “They don’t always believe me. They say: ‘But your skin colour, you are black, how can you be Jewish?’
“But when my ancestors came here, their descendants had to adapt to the climate. Some of my ancestors married local Nigerian men or women who converted to Judaism,” he said.
Unlike Ethiopian Jews, Igbo Jews can’t prove their lineage, and this is another reason they’re not recognised as Jewish by the Israeli Chief Rabbinate.
Sunday Sgbo is originally from Abuja, Nigeria’s capital. He moved to Joburg in 2009.
“I grew up learning and practising the laws of Judaism from my parents, who learnt it from their ancestors,” he said. “I’ll always practise these laws. We are special people, chosen by God.”
The Igbo Jews observe the laws of kosher, family purity, the Sabbath and Jewish holidays.
“Our children also celebrate the coming of age just as Jewish tradition stipulates. Boys have their bar mitzvah at 13 and girls their bat mitzvah at 12. We keep all the laws given to the Jewish people by God. Whether sick or well, a baby boy is circumcised at the age of eight days. A girl is named at the earliest biblical reading after her birth,” Obiekwe said.
When Obiekwe arrived in South Africa, he joined Temple Israel, a Reform synagogue in Hillbrow, where he prayed for three years. At the beginning of 2009, he moved to Yeoville.
“I had heard there were Igbos in the area and I used my time in Hillbrow to come here and look for them. It took years to find them because some had lost their tradition and faith. The process to create and connect the community was slow. We are still growing,” he said.
Beth-El has just over 100 members and according to Obiekwe’s assistant, Israel Akpodol, it’s growing by the day.
The synagogue is a temporary structure made from wood and tin.
“The walls are painted blue and white to symbolise the community’s dedication to Israel. It is our home and we will always support it,” he said.
Akpodol explains that men and women are required to take off their shoes when entering the prayer area. For some parts of the service, congregants go down on to their knees as a symbol of their humility and servitude to God.
“We are tied to Hashem (God),” Obiekwe said.
The Torah scrolls are kept in a holy place in the rabbi’s home.
“We do not bring them out unless it is Sabbath or Jewish holidays,” Akpodol said. “They are too sacred.”
Most prayers are recited in English, because not all congregants can read Hebrew.
Over the course of this year’s High Holy Days, more than 200 people joined the prayer services and sermons.
Men and women sit separately during prayer, separated by a piece of cloth. Women are also expected to cover their hair, wear long dresses and have sleeves that cover their elbows.
“Women dress as the religious Jews would in Nigeria, in colourful but modest clothing with head coverings,” said Charity Nnonyeli.
She said her role as a Jewish wife and mother was to raise a family that understood God’s laws. “We celebrate everything together and spend time teaching each other and learning.”
Akpodol said funding came from members of the Igbo Jewish community in Nigeria and individual donors in South Africa.
The Igbo Jews living in Nigeria also receive donations from Jews in Israel and America.
Obiekwe has not allowed the questions surrounding the authenticity of his tradition to discourage him.
“We are all servants of God. We will continue to abide by His laws no matter if we are accepted by the Orthodox community or not,” he said.
@lanc_02
The Star