House of Israel
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| House of Israel | |
|---|---|
| Total population | c. 800 (est.) |
| Regions with significant populations | 800 Ghana [1] [citation needed] |
| Language | Sefwi |
| Religion | Judaism |
| Related ethnic groups | Sefwi |
The House of Israel is a Jewish community in Ghana. They claim to be one of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel.
Contents |
[edit] History of Jews in Ghana
It is believed that Judaism and Jewish communities had established a presence in Ghana since ancient times. Migrations into western Africa by Jewish traders, merchants, and other groups have been documented by both Arab, Jewish, and European travelers and historians. Indeed, members of the House of Israel document their arrival in Ghana via a Jewish migration across the Sahara desert, into Mali, where there has been a documented Jewish community in Timbuktu, and further along through the Ivory Coast and into Ghana. [2] It has also been found that in some regions, Judaism and Jewish merchants had such a profound impact on this particular region of west Africa, that quite a substantial number of ruling families in Ghana converted to Judaism and for a period of over 200 years, the Ghanian empire was ruled by Jews. [3]However, modern, mainstream Judaism has been practiced in Ghana since a group of people from the Sefwi tribe has established ties to worldwide Jewry and have thus received educational materials about modern Judaism and vital texts such as Tanakhs, Siddurim, etc. The community traces back its return to normative Judaism to an individual known as Aaron Ahomtre Toakyirafa. [4]. In 1977, Toakyirafa had a vision that the Sefwi people, a tribe of which he was a member, were one of the Lost tribes of Israel. He believed that the Sefwi practiced rituals and had a theology that was unlike that of the surrounding population. He concluded that these customs were of Hebraic origin. For example, they avoided the consumption of pork, or pig-like animals, and observed a day of rest on Saturdays, which also happens to coincide with the Jewish Shabbat. Additionally, males were circumsized 8 days after birth, a custom that is identically practiced by Jews the world over. [5] The custom of separation of man and woman during female menstruation was also observed among members of the Sefwi tribe. More recently, the community, largely based in Sefwi Wiaswo and Sefwi Sui has been receiving a steady flow of Jewish visitors from the worldwide Jewish community. These visitors have been bringing Jewish objects and educational materials and many have been writing about the community, bringing them to the attention of Jews the world over.
[edit] Today
Several tribal elders of the Sefwi have began exploring the possibility of a Jewish ancestry to their people, and some have recognized their Judaic past. As a result, the leader of the House of Israel has recently been awarded a plot of land on which to build a Jewish school so that children are not forced to attend a Christian one [6]. However as of right now, sufficient funds have not been raised in order to start construction of the school.
