Bonita Nathan Sussman and her husband, Rabbi Gerald Sussman travel the world on a mission to help integrate emerging Jewish communities into world Jewry. Bonita serves as President of Kulanu (kulanu.org). She is a graduate of Yeshiva University Stern College, has a Masters degree in religion from Columbia University and a second Masters in Jewish Education from The Jewish Theological Seminary.

Rabbi Sussman is a graduate of the Jewish Theological Seminary Class of 1979 and is a member of the Rabbinical Assembly (Conservative Judaism’s rabbinical organization). He is also a co-founder of the Union for Traditional Judaism. At Temple Emanu-El of Staten Island, Rabbi Sussman officiates at services, is principal of the Hebrew school, conducts adult education and is available for counseling. Rabbi Sussman is also active in the Staten Island community, serving on the boards of Project Hospitality and the Northfield Community Local Development Corporation.

On Monday, February 6, 2023, at 7 p.m. at the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU, Bonita and Rabbi Gerald will give a presentation titled “Is Judaism becoming a major black African religion?” The museum is located at 301 Washington Ave., Miami Beach. Visit jmof.fiu.edu or call (305) 672-5044 for more information.

Linda: Explain in detail the basis of your presentation?

Bonita and Gerald: Sub-Saharan African Judaism is both an old and a new phenomenon. For the Ibo of Nigeria, the Lemba of Zimbabwe and South Africa, the Danites from Cote D’ivoire, the Malagasy’s of Madagascar, and others who tell us with conviction that they are descendants of Israelites, Hebrews and Lost Tribes, theirs is a story of many millennia. They point to their belief in one God, ancient customs and practices that are similar to Judaism’s and point to linguistic connections similar to Hebrew. Ethiopians have a very long tradition of identifying as Jews, some of who attribute their origin to Menelik, the son of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon.

For Tanzanians who remember the stories and traditions of their grandparents and great-grandparents who emigrated from Yemen and visit their graves in Tanzania, their Yemenite traditions are centuries old. For Ugandans, who several years ago celebrated their 100th anniversary as Jews, theirs are a newer story. For Jews in Cameroon and Kenya who traveled a spiritual route from Christianity to Judaism theirs is a story of decades.

For Jews in America, it is a very new and surprising growing trend and phenomenon that we are just beginning to notice and address. It will change Jewish history and bring new and fresh ideas, leadership and inspiration into the Jewish world.

The development of Judaism in Sub-Saharan Africa is part of a world-wide trend of emerging Jewish communities that include Latin America and Asia. Such communities are found in over 33 countries. In Latin America they are known as Bnei Anusim or Crypto Jews and were referred to as Morranos. In places in Asia like Pakistan and India, Jewish groups are forming and finding ancient Jewish roots. All are part of a worldwide trend of people asking themselves “who am I really?”

Will Judaism become a major black African religion? This is challenging to answer. We certainly hope so. After the Holocaust and the destruction of old Jewish communities in North Africa and the Middle East, it would be wonderful to welcome our brothers and sisters in Africa and elsewhere.

As African infrastructure develops to provide internet access to remote places, Sub Sub-Saharan Africans will be able to access Jewish educational opportunities online, study with rabbis abroad and in Israel and connect with others of similar beliefs.

While the communities are small their influence and membership are growing. Young people with many children are joining. The potential is enormous. There are 30 million Ibos and tens of thousands of Lemba who call themselves in one form or another Jewish.

Judaism is attractive to Africans, many of whom see Judaism as more reflective of their pre colonial practices and more compatible with their cultural base in the way it celebrates the seasons and marks personal milestones. Circumcision, prohibitions against eating pork and menstrual taboos are part of a familiar picture.

Linda: Explain your role as president of Kulanu and the organization’s mission?

Bonita: With the passing of Harriet Bograd our president and visionary, I moved into the role as president in September 2022.

The mission of Kulanu is to rebuild the Jewish people by supporting emerging, returning and isolated Jewish communities around the globe. We help provide basic infrastructure needs, prayer books, Torah scrolls, mikvah and cemetery development support. We send teachers, connect them with others and under certain circumstances support economic development and food insufficiency issues.

We literally “put them on the map.” We have a website, Kulanu.org that has an interactive world wide map so people can click and find out about them. It breaks their isolation and they feel part of a broader endeavor.

In December, Kulanu helped develop a Sub-Saharan African Jewish Alliance (SAJA) whose goals are to give Sub-Saharran African Jews a voice in the worldwide Jewish community, share resources and address common challenges for themselves. Over ten countries have representatives on SAJA. SAJA has working groups that deal with key issues such as gaining access to visas to travel, dating, educational, economic concerns and women’s issues like domestic violence.

Linda: Share the travels you have done together and the significance of those trips?

Gerald: Our first trip was actually to India where we spent around a month with the Bene Ephraim community in Andhra Pradesh. It was such a moving experience that we both decided to dedicate our lives to the cause of emerging Jewish communities. Not long afterwards we received an invitation from the community in Cameroon. The pictures they sent, especially of the children, were so sweet that we decided to go. Since then we have visited emerging Jewish communities in Gabon, Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Nigeria, Nicaragua and Brazil.

In the first African country we visited in Cameroon, we were deeply moved by their warmth, kindness and dedication to Judaism. Their knowledge of Jewish practices and customs compare favorably to that of many of the established Jewish groups that we have encountered in the USA. We were deeply moved by their traditional services and their music which combined tunes you might hear in any synagogue around the world with their own compositions. Their observances of the same traditions that we practice created an instant bond. The fact that we traveled so far to see them, validated the importance of their own journey to them and was deeply appreciated. This can be said for all the communities that we visited.

When Professor Parfitt organized an FIU trip to Papua New Guinea, he asked us to join him on a journey to one of the most remote corners of the world to encounter the members of the Gogodala Tribe who believe their ancestors emigrated from Jerusalem in ancient times.

Linda: Explain your work that has been featured in documentaries and publications?

Bonita: Part of Kulanu’s challenge is how do we get the word out about these communities. Part of our strategy is to work with academics, documentarians and journalists who find this topic fascinating especially today when equity and inclusion issues are discussed very openly. We have a social media presence that we are looking to expand.

Linda: What are some of the specific challenges you have seen in developing countries?

Bonita: I had an “aha moment” a few years ago. The challenges in Africa are the same as what we face in America: how to maintain membership, educate our members and children, fund kiddush, react to antisemitism, who to marry, pay for synagogue repairs, afford burials, give charity, take care of orphans and widows, dialogue with Christian and Muslims. It’s all the same but on a different scale.

Linda: What are some of the successes in those countries?

Bonita: Kulanu has supported communities to develop their Jewish presence and infrastructure. We helped them build synagogues, schools, mikvahs, sent them rabbis and teachers, helped with technology grants and gave them Torah scrolls. We provide holiday meals and give them opportunities to study Judaism in Israel and the U.S. But mostly, we validated their amazing journeys.

Linda: What is the biggest gratification you get from helping people?

Gerald and Bonita: We find the work very rewarding in that we are helping develop Jewish communities to secure a strong future for Judaism and the Jewish people. We see Judaism in a different cultural context. They have added to our understanding of our Judaism and expanded our concepts of “who is a Jew?” Our interactions enriched our lives. We now have family across the continents.

Linda: Thank you, Bonita and Rabbi for sharing your amazing and rewarding journey.