Jewish Traces in Unexpected Places: Welcoming Shabbat with Lecha Dodi in Uganda

Today we combine two regular features of Jewish Humor Central -- Jewish Traces in Unexpected Places and a song from the Kabbalat Shabbat service to welcome the weekly day of rest.

Two years ago we  posted a video of the girls from the Nangolo Synagogue in Uganda singing Mizmor leDavid from the Shabbat Morning Service. The Nangolo Synagogue is one of nine established by the Abayudaya people of Uganda.

Today we are sharing a video of Nangolo children singing Lecha Dodi in front of the synagogue.

The Abayudaya (People of Judah) are a community in eastern Uganda near the town of Mbale who practice Judaism. They are devout in their practice, keeping kashrut, and observing Shabbat. There are several different villages where the Abayudaya live. Most of these are recognized by the Reform and Conservative movements of Judaism. In June 2016 Rabbi Shlomo Riskin led a Beit Din that performed an Orthodox conversion for the Putti community of Abayudaya.

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.

Welcoming Shabbat with Adon Olam by the Nangolo Stern Girls' Choir of Uganda

A Jewish community in Uganda has put together a series of 64 videos comprising the Shabbat morning service. Now posted on YouTube, they are available for everyone to see how Shabbat is celebrated among the Jews of Uganda.

 The series is called We Sing We Stay Together: Shabbat Prayers.

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.

 

Jewish Traces in Unexpected Places: Welcoming Shabbat with Mizmor L'David in Uganda

Today we combine two regular features of Jewish Humor Central -- Jewish Traces in Unexpected Places and a song from the Shabbat services to welcome the weekly day of rest.

The girls from Nangolo Synagogue, Uganda sing Mizmor leDavid from the Shabbat Morning Service Prayers. The Nangolo Synagogue is one of nine established by the Abayudaya people of Uganda.

The Abayudaya (People of Judah) are a community in eastern Uganda near the town of Mbale who practice Judaism. They are devout in their practice, keeping kashrut, and observing Shabbat. There are several different villages where the Abayudaya live. Most of these are recognized by the Reform and Conservative movements of Judaism. In June 2016 Rabbi Shlomo Riskin led a Beit Din that performed an Orthodox conversion for the Putti community of Abayudaya.

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.

Jewish Traces in Unexpected Places: NJ Chabad Rabbi Gets Stumped by Ugandan Teenagers

 

A few days ago, Rabbi Avrohom Rapoport, who runs the Chabad Chai Center in Ventnor, New Jersey, received an Instagram message from a young Orthodox Jewish man in Puti, Uganda.

He was the leader of a Ugandan youth group in their synagogue and asked Rabbi Rapoport to give a class to the group via Zoom. The rabbi agreed, and soon found himself being questioned by a group of 15 teenagers. He played "Stump the Rabbi" with them, and he was stumped.

We noticed that the group did not practice social distancing and we wondered how they were dealing with the coronavirus. As of yesterday, Uganda had 116 confirmed cases, 55 recovered, and 0 deaths.

So maybe they know something that we don't. 

Enjoy and stay safe.

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO. 

Jewish Traces in Unexpected Places: Uganda Jews Sing a Song of Shalom

In 2011 we posted two videos about the Abayudaya Jewish Community of Uganda and told about their origins in 1919 and how the founder of their community embraced Judaism. 

It's a fascinating story about how Judaism emerged in central Africa, complete with a Yeshiva and Beit Midrash for Torah study and traditional prayer services with tallit and tefillin.  The community observes Shabbat and the laws of kashrut.

Now the Abayudaya and Israeli artist Irene Orleansky have partnered to create "Shalom, Mirembe!" as part of a music collection from Israelites and Jews of Africa and Asia. 

As we get ready for Shabbat, we're sharing this uniquely African musical number, followed by a narrative by the spiritual leader of this community, Rabbi Gershom, of how they got started. Rabbi Gershom discusses the community's nearly 100 year history and the challenges and successes that the Abayudaya have faced during that time.

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom!

(A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO IS NOT VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.)