Radio

| nEXT |

| Previous |

| Nigeria Page |

|Contents |
|Page |

(the Priest of Midian Synagogue) and Redemption Light of Yahweh Prophetic Ministries, which in anticipation of my visit had renamed itself Redemption Light of HaShem, in order to mask its messianic identity. The contrast between the two congregations was striking. The reception at the first synagogue was boisterous, with a band and a large turnout. The synagogue

At Beit Knesset HaKohen Median

Aba, Abia State

building itself, however, was a modest and simple. The reception at the Redemption Light synagogue was much smaller larger - it was late in the day, close to the evening - but the building was large and imposing, located on a sizeable piece of land. What was even more telling was this: they were building a new synagogue on another piece of land. It was not going to be a simple concrete structure. Nothing less than brick would do. This costs money, and it means (1) that the congregation is large and (2) that is has benefactors with deep pockets. Only a messianic congregation meets both criteria.

The picture at the top of the page was taken in the commercial center of Aba, during rush hour. I rode in the backseat of this vehicle. Note the “hamsa” hanging from the rear-view mirror. It was not the only thing protecting us that day. We always said the traveler’s prayer upon reaching the outskirts of wherever we began our trip. Given the number of traffic fatalities in Nigeria, this was not unreasonable. The other form of protection: all the drivers with whom I rode were armed. Carjackings are not uncommon. That is why we always traveled in a three-car caravan; I rode in the middle car.

At nightfall, the driver turned on the news. As soon as he heard the word “Israel,” he turned up the volume on the radio. He didn’t do it for my benefit; he hadn’t turned around and asked me if I wanted to listen. It was an automatic response to the word. He did it the for same reason you and I would, so as not to miss one word of any news report about Israel.

As is the case with Uganda’s Jews, Nigerian Jews have a strong sense of identify with the State of Israel - as their homeland, as a land holy to the Jews, and perhaps as a place of refuge should their situation and standing in Nigeria deteriorate. They are aware of what is happening in Israel and are as concerned as we are whenever they read about a bombing or an attack. Do they want to make aliyah? That does not seem to be a priority - at least, not for the moment.

That simple act of turning up the volume on the radio showed me how deep-seated was the driver’s Jewish identity. That is the answer to the question above: “How Jewish are they?” Another incident will illustrate the same answer.

Because of all the carjackings and other forms of crime, there are police and army barricades on roads throughout the country. The question “May I see your papers?” is a shake-down. The paper they want to see if a handful of naira. For drivers who refuse, it is not uncommon for the officers to ask everyone to step out of the vehicle so that a proper search can be conducted - and a “proper search” can take an hour or more.

Once, will traveling in the Federal Capital Territories (near Abuja), we were stopped by a sizable Hausa soldier, dressed totally in black. That was probably the only time during my visit when I felt threatened. My host jumped out of the car and explained to the soldier: “We are Jews; this is our chief rabbi; we are late for his next appointment; please let us go.” I did not see if any money changed hands, but the mere fact that my host referred to himself as a Jew showed a lot of mettle. There is a long and violent history of ethnic strife in Nigeria. A Muslim Hausa and an Igbo Jew are not natural allies. That the first words coming from my host’s mouth were “We are Jews” is again a powerful demonstration of how thoroughly their Jewish identify pervades their daily life.

| Travel Vignettes | Nigeria Main Page | Guide to Contents |

Rush Hour in Aba