On November 23, 2008, we held the first International Conference of Black Jews. We invited Jews of Nigerian, North American, Congolese and Israeli origin to compare our different ways of living our Judaism.
With this event, we wanted to illustrate the diversity present in Judaism, and to show that biological criteria are never involved in defining the Jewish people. Our people are mixed; its members’ features show a variety of origins, and all are equally Jewish.
During the conference, I explained that France is behind on the issue of Jewish diversity, and that we must assume, and indeed encourage, such diversity. I argued that we needed one place as an expression of the diversity of prayer, and to study Jewish traditions.
The various speakers aligned themselves with this principle: each issue was examined in depth, based on personal experiences and specific research. The voices of philosophers, clergy, sociologists and psychoanalysts were brought together as they had been during an evening event we held on May 12, 2008.
Living together implies accepting the whole of Jewish identity.
The Fraternité Judéo-Noire pursues this objective holistically by its activities within the French Jewish Community, and by assuming an approach that takes into account related issues experienced by similar communities throughout the world.
Victor Alhadeff, a member of the Jewish community of Temple Samu-El Or Olom in Miami, FL of the United States, also spoke at the conference. Victor continued his Hebrew education, including studying the Hebrew language, Torah, and halachic law under the personal guidance of Rabbi David Schonblum. He pointed out the significance of being a minority, and an invisible Jew, as at the time of Maimonides.
During Maurice Dorès presentation, Maurice traced ancient Jewish history in Africa, discussed present day Jewish communities and Judaizing groups, and the specificities of Black Jewish identity. Traces in Africa are both numerous and ancient as illustrated by several historians. In the first century, the Jewish historian, Philo of Alexandria wrote that at his time, his coreligionists lived as far south as the borders of Ethiopia.
Moïse Rahmani told us of his fascinating community in the Congo, that began in the 20th century, and declined as the century came to a close. Congolese Jews, like their brothers in the rest of the Diaspora, were dispersed over several continents, from Belgium to South Africa and from the United States to Australia. Against their will, they were forced to leave the Congo, sometimes to save their lives, sometimes to ensure a less threatened existence for their families, sometimes simply to live.
You can read more about the conference in an earlier JVoices interview here.
Desiree Robinson (Teshukah Bet Abraham)
July 22nd, 2009 at 4:07 pm
Are there transcripts of the conference in english that I can read. My family and I are Black Jews in Baltimore, MD and I would like to read this transcript in its entirety. As well as have a copy for my family records. I often print photos of any one of color who is a Jew for my family’s photo album as a way to show my children that we are not alone. Currently my boys attend religious school or Day School and are the only Black students. They are recieved well because I would dare place my precious gifts in harms way. So no one else would dare do them any harm, because they know that there is nothing like a mother’s love for her children. But it would be nice to have our experiences and history be apart of the topics being discussed for a change. We don’t need to relate to Jewish History per sa. We are Jewish History as well
Barajas
April 1st, 2014 at 11:44 pm
Black Jews love Judaism, but for african-americans Jews they connect being Jewish to Africa, and that is not true. Most orthodox Jews won’t accept black Jews because they still bring in some pagan practices not allowed in the synagogue service. Jews do have a physical appearance, they have the middle eastern appearance, like africans have the african appearance, europeans have the european look. So in some sense as a Gentile, I don’t feel that black Jews are converting for the right reasons. First of all, they want to convert, because some of them have Jewish blood, or because they just want to be saved and show off the world that they can speak Hebrew and be better than other people. There only interest is to get recognized, and not truly be spiritual like the great Rabbis, like the Vilna Goan, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, or like the Alter Rebbe these are true Jews who have reached great spiritual heights.
Carrina Frasier
December 22nd, 2017 at 9:09 am
@Barajas…that is not true. You really do not know because you never walked this walk.
Black Jews…we are the invisible ones. My great-gr-gr Grandmother was Fannie Frasier. She was Sephardic. Her family came to America from the Iberian Peninsula, when the Jews were given a choice to either convert to Christianity, die, or leave. My ancestors left.
My gr-gr-gr-gr Grandmother was bought by my ancestors. My gr-gr-gr Grandmother was born.
I still have some of their features. Having been teased with things like my nose is like an arrow, or my ‘afro’ that was a mixture of afro and curls…a jew fro. But they didn’t know my Jewish background. Many assumed my Mother was part Native American…nope…an invisible Jew.
From my youth, I could not understand why it seemed G-d loved me dearly, favored me, set me apart from others…I felt special to G-d. I KNEW I was. But at the time, I didn’t even know I had Jewish blood…until the DNA test I took told me.
I have African American on my information. But I am an Invisible Jew. At least to the world. But not to G-d. I wasn’t invisible to Him. He knows those who are His.
I am Messianic. But that further alienates me from connecting with the Jewish community as a whole. It’s okay…and not okay. We are divided and that sucks.