THE BIRMINGHAM TEMPLE
announces
A unique perspective on the Bible
African Tribe
Adopts Judaism
New York (JTA) — When world invited by him to visit the tribe.
Zionist leaders rejected Uganda
The visit was so inspiring that
as a possible Jewish homeland at upon returning to the United
the turn of the century, they prob- States Mr. Meyer wrote more
ably never imagined that one of than 150 letters to different or-
the native tribes in the eastern ganizations about the Aba Yua
African nation would adopt Ju- Daya.
daism.
The tribe's current population
In 1919, the Buganda tribe in is between 500 and 600, below
western Uganda began to follow the 2,000 Aba Yua Daya mem-
the Old Testament.
bers the tribe had before Idi Amin
The tribe leader, Semei Ka- took over Uganda and made life
gungulo, had been struck by the difficult for them through his bru-
special relationship described in tal regime.
the Bible between the Jewish
The group has expressed an in-
people and God, said Jacques terest in converting to Judaism
Cukierkorn, the rabbinic advis- and moving to Israel.
er to Kulanu, an organization
now aiding the tribe in their
quest to become more knowl-
edgeable about Judaism.
As a result, Mr. Kagungulo
abandoned the New Testament
and lived a Jewish lifestyle by ad- Jerusalem (JTA) — Israeli police
hering to the scriptures of the Old arrested 13 members of Green-
Testament.
peace who were protesting out-
The Buganda tribe in western side the Chinese and French
Uganda had initially been con- embassies in Tel Aviv.
verted to Christianity by Euro-
The group, which was protest-
pean missionaries who ing the decisions of France and
frequented the region.
China to conduct nuclear testing,
Mr. Kagungulo took to heart had chained themselves to fences
the apocalyptic passages in Isa- and scaffolding, spray-painted
iah about how the people of the anti-nuclear messages on the
world will want to be Jewish.
sidewalk and blocked entrances
Mr. Kagungulo also was a to the buildings, police said.
highly respected general and an Three of those detained were Is-
adviser to the king of Uganda.
raelis. The rest of those arrest-
"He was a macher," Mr. ed were the captain and crew of
Cukierkorn said.
the Greenpeace ship Altier, an-
After he wrote a book of reli- chored off Tel Aviv.
gious guidelines based on the Old
The presence of the Green-
Testament for his 500 tribal peace ship in Israeli waters was
members, they decided to start "part of a Mediterranean tour to
calling themselves the Aba Yua draw attention in the region to
Daya — or "I am a Jew" in their the issue of nuclear testing," Uri
native Luganda.
Zik, director of Greenpeace in Is-
The book included traditional rael, told Israel Television.
Jewish practices such as ritual
"There is nothing wrong about
circumcision and separation of the Israeli public voicing oppo-
milk and meat.
sition to nuclear testing, which is
"Evidently, he didn't know of high on the environmental agen-
rabbinic Judaism and actually da of the world right now," Mr.
composed a primitive prayer Zik added.
book," Mr. Cukierkorn said.
Environment Minister Yossi
Every time they came into con- Sarid and Tel Aviv Mayor Ron-
tact with Jews, they would nie Milo met with Greenpeace ac-
change their ways and adopt new tivists.
practices, he said. In the mid-
1920s, a Jew known only as
Joseph spent time with the tribe
teaching them more about prayer
and about the different holidays,
he added.
There was little contact be-
tween the Jewish world and the New York (JTA) — Vandals have
Aba Yua Daya from that point daubed 11 gravestones with
until the early 1990s, when two swastikas and the letters "SS" in
graduate students happened to the Jewish cemetery of Klatovy
stumble upon them.
in western Bohemia, according
While visiting Kenya, the two to the World Jewish Congress.
American graduate students,
No arrests have been made by
Matthew Meyer and Julia Czech Republic police in connec-
Chamowitz, met one of the lead- tion with the incident, thought to
ers of the Aba Yua Daya in a syn- have occurred between Aug. 7
agogue in Nairobi and were and Aug. 13.
Greenpeace
Arrest Made
/
Gravestones
Are Vandalized
SHABBAT STUDY HOUR
Your chance to study the Bible with Rabbi Sherwin T. Wine in an informal discussion in
the spirit of Shabbat.
This class is OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. There is no charge.
Beginning Saturday, September 9th, at 9:30 A.M. in the Temple library.
INTRODUCTION TO JUDAISM CLASS
Rabbi Wine leads you through the events of Jewish history in a scientific and new approach.
Register at the first class on Monday, September 11th, at 7:30 p.m. in the Temple library.
There is a fee for non-members, applicable to membership in the 1995/96 Temple
year.
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YOM KIPPUR
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YOUTH CELEBRATION — Wednesday, Oct. 4th, 3:30 p.m.
Children and Youth services are open to the public at no charge.
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