Who Is a Jew (in Africa)? Definitional and Ethical Considerations in the Study of Sub-Saharan Jewry and Judaism

Abstract

ABSTRACTIn recent decades, the fulcrum of African Jewry has shifted from long-established Ethiopian communities to emerging ones in West and Central Africa. This transition from “old” to “new” expressions of Judaism in Africa reanimates the question, “Who is a Jew?” The matter is problematized by the existence of multiple and diverse communities who purport Israelite lineage but eschew normative Judaism. This article offers a “concentric circles” model to bring conceptual and theological clarity to this issue. The outer circle or ring includes African “tribes” (as the term is used by African themselves) that claim ancient Hebrew lineage but still subscribe to institutionalized Christianity (Protestant or Catholic) or indigenous belief systems (animist or ancestral), or a combination of these. A middle circle or ring encompasses groups that have modified their practices and beliefs to resemble Jewish or Israelite religion but in fundamentally non-normative ways (e.g., practicing priestly sacrifice or retaining Jesus Christ as a Messianic touchstone). The core ring represents those African communities that do adopt normative Judaism, albeit with Africanized accretions. Some scholarly consensus regarding the legitimacy of wide-ranging claims to Jewish identity in Black Africa is critical to the analytical and ethical integrity of the study of African Judaism.