Book_Project

In February 2004 I had the privilege of traveling to Nigeria to visit some of the Jewish communities found throughout the country. I was deeply touched by the people whom I met. Their commitment to the practice of Judaism and to learning more about our religion is beyond anything that can be expected of people who have virtually no access to rabbis and educators and who have no Jewish resources to speak of. Throughout my visit - to the Federal Capital Territories, to Port Harcourt, and to Abia, Akwa Ibom, Niger and Rivers States - I visited a lot of synagogues, but I saw very few books: a small number of siddurim (prayerbooks), many of them photocopied; a smaller number of tanakhim (Jewish bibles) and chumashim (Five Books of the Torah); and almost no books of introduction to Judaism and Jewish history, of explanations of how Jews pray, or of guidance as to how holidays are celebrated and what they signify. I felt that the most durable contribution that I might be able to make to the development of Jewish life in Nigeria would be the establishment of Jewish libraries and collections of books for synagogues.

(In subsequent trips to Nigeria - in 2006 and 2008 - when I visited communities in Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo States, I saw the same scarcity of written materials about Judaism.)

The elders - in Igboland and elsewhere - with whom I shared this goal agreed that it would be worthwhile. Here is how one of them, Yisrael Ben Yermeyahu, responded to my suggestion that one thousand siddurim, tanakhim and chumashim be sent along with up to 400 different Judaic titles:

...in my synagogue I have over two or three thousand members1 who can read and understand.

We started with western civilization doctrines but since our change to the true teaching we lack many necessities to prove our fact/faiths. We do not have books. We hear of Torah but have not seen nor touch it. We lack books and other equipments. Books, books, books, are very necessary for us. We are tired of king James in Bibles and other versions which teach Jesus , Lords, Jehovah etc. We are Igbo Jews.2 We want to do what other Jews do, wear, or put on. We need prayer books, talyts, cap to cover our heads. Books like "TO BE A JEW". In short anything that can distinguish us from Christians.... we want to practice pure Judaism. If you send one thousand torahs and other useful books, they will never suffice for one local Government Area....

If libraries can be created [in] at least 4 or 5 local Government Areas, over 4 hundred different books cannot be enough. Our light is shining...; please help us brighten the light. (22 Dec 2004)

My plan and goal for "Phase 1" are: Up to 1000 siddurim, tanakhim and chumashim; four large collections that would include the Encyclopedia Judaica, other references books and up to 400 different Judaic titles (mostly non-fiction); six smaller collections of up to 200 titles. The elders and I will discuss where these libraries will be located. The first shipment is planned for early 2006. [See below for the actual results.]

1 People ask me how many Nigerians practice Judaism. The answer: no one knows. In Nigeria - and elsewhere - a census is a politically-fraught undertaking. For example, Christian leaders do not want a true counting; they fear that the numbers will tell what they do not want to hear, that there are more Muslims in Nigeria than there are Christians. Statistics that I have seen point to this: Muslims comprise nearly 50% of the population, followed by Christians, with practitioners of traditional African religions a distant third (although one can assume that the practice of monotheistic religions is often infused with indigenous religious elements).

This is what another elder wrote on this subject: "When I talk of... Igbo Jewry, I mean the people practising Judaism. The Igbos are 50 milion at home, one race, one language. The colonial masters came with their own religion and debased our custom and culture. The traditional belief was thrown away, and Christianity was sold to us. The Holy One of Israel was so kind to us that the tradition of circumcision on the 8th day was not lost. The Shabbat was kept only by the Igbos. ...out of 10 people, 6 are Christians while 3 are Shabbat keepers, 1 is a pagan.... Out of the 3, 2 are messianic Christian Shabbat, while 1 [is a] practising Jew.”

Even if we are skeptical of these numbers, we are talking about a lot of people practicing Judaism and wanting to learn more about its teachings and observances.

2 Many Igbos maintain that they are Jewish, descendants of ancient Israelites. (See for example Ibo-Benei-Yisrael.) Many others dispute this claim. In my opinion, the past matters less than the future. My goal is to encourage the Jewish development of those Nigerians, Igbo and otherwise, who identify as Jews, providing them with books and educational opportunities. They are the ones who will determine their own future. Given the vastness of their numbers and their dispersion throughout Nigeria, it is absurd to think that a Bet Din can accomplish in Nigeria what was done in Uganda for the 600-700 members of the Jewish community in that country.

This was how the book project was introduced in the first part of 2005.
In the fall of 2005, it was adopted by Tikvat Israel Congregation’s Social Action Committee, thereby making it the Tikvat Israel Africa Project.

What were the results of the project? What did we learn? What are our plans for the next phase? Read on.

| Book Recipients | Jews of Nigeria | Contents Page |