The Association of Blacks Jews : why in Africa ?
Called federation of Black jews in Africa (Nigeria), a body representing various black jews associations or cooperatives for the preservation of jewish identity in Africa and around the world. In this case, it is the seat that establishes the regional offices and gives them a full competence in certain areas. The headquarters of FJN International was transferred in Nigeria in IGBO-LAND. And our work is deeply rooted in Africa. (South Africa, Ethiopia, Ouganda, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Mali)…And Brazil. Jews come in come in many colors and from a diversity of ethnic backgrounds. This important fact is the point of departure for the Black-Jewish Center. It aims to foster understanding and recognition on the part of all Jews of the diversity of Jews. Thus, the Center seeks to provide a public space in which Jews of every color can their Judaism while at the same time recognizing and appreciating the Jewish traditions of Jews with different backgrounds. While the Jews of Africa are the point of departure for this project, the Center seeks to foster the ideas of Black-Jewish Cultural Center at the international level, as the failure to appreciate and recognize Jewish diversity exists throughout the world.
I. Context
Because African Judaism has a rich history, it will serve as the basis for the first concerns that the Center will address. The Center will to shed light on why the Black Jews of Africa face obstacles of acceptance in the wider Jewish community which, in general, the Jews do not face. Addressing such matters will serve as the theoretical and national backdrop for the concerns of the Center.
a) The Black Jews of Africa must contend
with an invisibility as the socio-religious level—an invisibility which also extends to the academic world. Once consequence of this is that little, if any, attention is paid to the problems that Black Jews in Africa routinely encounter. While there are numerous centers and professorships devoted to Judaism, none focus upon the issues that pertain to Black Jews as a unique category. In fact, White jew has routinely ignored Blacks jews as a social category with their own unique experiences. This very practice makes it impossible to address the religious experiences of blacks as such.
Thus, in contrast those pays which embrace the Treaty of Blacks jews. Owing to this framework, the forms of institution racism and discrimination which Blacks jews experiences receives no recognition at all. It is no surprise, then, that blacks constitute the group of people who are absent from any form of institutional study. And it is this institutional invisibility that distinguishes from many other countries.
b) The absence of Blacks
from the field of academic study is the result of the ideology which goes by the name of universalism which claims to be blind to the skin color of citizens. The demand of unity to ignore origin and race is not without grave consequences. Oddly enough, this very conception of universalism makes it difficult to be effective in the political struggle against racism and discrimination.
Against this backdrop, it shall be the responsibility and the prerogative of F-J-N to address the concerns of those who are victims of racism and discrimination simply because they are both Black and Jewish.
c) The Emergence of Black antisemitism in Africa.
Time and time again, the public-at-large is reminded of the persistence of the antisemitism. No doubt the most recent occurrence of Black antisemitism has been with the hostile remarks against Jews by the well-known public figure.
Drawing upon the same antisemitism that has been characteristic, these Blacks masquerade their antisemitism as support for the Palestinian people and they draw heavily upon ideology militant blacks in the United States.
This form of antisemitism poses a fundamental challenge for Judaism in Africa. It is bold ; it is audacious. To be sure, the usual forms of condemnation are in order. However, it would seem that the Black Jews can play a most decisive role in addressing this form of antisemitism.
2. Mission
The considerations outlined in Section I speak not only to the many challenges of the Center and to the stakes are involved, but also to the enormous effort that must be made if FJN is to meet them.
Accordingly, the aims of the Center shall be multifaceted. Some of the specific tasks of Center are outlined in what follows.
d). An environment for peaceful
and constructive dialogue between the Jewish community and the Black jew community of Africa.
In addition to its religious functions, the Center shall be a space for constructive dialogue between theJewish community and the other Black community . Although the urgent matters of antisemitism, social justice, and societal violence which might affect members of the community shall certainly have their place : the dialogue between Blacks and Jews shall not be animated by only these concerns. The Center also seeks to foster discussions of general public interest.
Although the Jewish community and the Black community, constituted minority groups with rather different social configurations, the former being social and the latter being religious, these two communities can and must provide one another with the means which will enable them to explore together questions that arise from their common interests as minorities in the African society. It matters not whether these interests in common arise from social considerations or political life.
Contrary to a widely held view in the collective conscience of society, there is not an inescapable hiatus between the interests of a given community and the public interests.
Understandably, the memory of the Holocaust is a most matter for the Jewish community. Just so, it is also a matter of public interests. Because these questions of public cannot always be perused with equanimity in the public sphere, one of the foremost responsibilities of FJN shall be to provide an amiable environment for a permanent dialogue concerns such issues.
e) A Social Network for the struggle against, racism, discrimination, and antisemitism.
In the past few years, the Blacks jews of Africa have exhibited an increasingly greater level of selfconsciousness. They have understood that must not just be concerned with being a victim of racism and discrimination, but they must also address and formulate the questions that will undermine these scourges upon society. The struggle against antisemitism provides yet another front that must be addressed. One of the major contributions of FJN shall be to facilitate the possibility of a rich and more complete articulation of the struggles that exist.
In this regard, the contributions of FJN must extend beyond the declaration of ideals and principles.
FJN must also seek to put in place the methods and strategies that will bring about a more equal society. It is absolutely necessary to have a place for the diffusion of ideas and texts as well as the organization and gathering of information.
f. A Center for Cultural and Intellectual Exchange
FJN also aspires to play a role in cultural and intellectual exchanges. To that end, FJN seeks to put at the disposition of its members an environment devoted to these sorts of exchanges.
Precisely because the members of FJN must not limit themselves to their immediate problems and must, therefore, concern themselves with the general questions of society, FJN must ensure that has the tolls that will permit it to play an important role in the great debates of society. It is a matter of wrestling with society-at-large while using public forums and various gatherings to ensure that those who need to be heard are indeed heard.
FJN will draw upon the Jewish tradition and the twin-experience of its members who are Jewish and Blacks in order to address the diverse intellectual and cultural questions of the day.
g. A setting for those who are Black and Jewish
There is in fact a Black-Jewish diaspora, which presently is recognized only the specialists. This diaspora is very much alive and active in other other countries, and thus on the international scene.
The diversity of this diaspora is both religious and cultural. Each group has the signature of a specific experience. FJN wishes to extend itself to each and every Black-Jewish diaspora.
The failure to recognize in France a Black-Jewish diaspora is part of the explanation for why it is comment, even among blacks, to identify Jews with being white. Thus, FJN seeks not merely to fill the gaps, but to create a space that informs our knowledge of the Black-Jewish diaspora and so weaves a pattern of insight and understanding of its history and experiences.
h. A Space of Conviviality
The function of the Center shall not be limited to religious or intellectual or cultural questions. FJN must ensure an environment of warmth and goodwill for its members.
The members FJN over Africa must be able to have an environment located in Ogidi which they can frequent and forge ties of friendship, where they can exchange and share ideas, hopes, and dreams.
In proposing such a center, FJN is thus responding to a very important need that is characteristics of minorities and a diaspora group. The importance of knowing that others have had a like experience holds as much for moments of joy as it does for moments of pain. The knowledge that there is a place where others like oneself assemble is so very important. Café and other public spaces cannot fill such an important need.
This warmth is no doubt more pronounced among blacks owing to the fact that the oral tradition has
played and continues to plain an important role in black culture. In opening a space of conviviality, FJN provides an environment to cast aside the anonymity of vast metropolitan area and to replace it with the warmth of personal ties.
Quite simply, many ideas, initiatives, and seeds of inspiration arise from moments of fruitful exchange and interaction. For this reason, the proposed Center would offer the minimum necessary to the existence and flourishing of moments of conviviality : books and journals, internet access, and even refreshments (not only sodas and the like, but snacks as well).
The challenges of FJN are at once both numerous and enormous. Just so, they can be realized. It suffices that we are prepared to secure its realization. The Center that FJN envisions represents a hope upon which one cannot put a price. It is not enough to have clarity with respect to our goals and objectives. We must also have the requisite tools that make it possible to accomplish our goals and objectives. The Center proposed by FJN has proposing and developing these tools as its most fundamental aim. The stakes are very high and it is not feasible to put off the construction of the Center until a later. There could not be a more suitable time for constructing the Center than now in Nigeria.
Guershon Nduwa
President of executive of Black African Association
Anambra State, Ogidi, Nigeria
Blacks Jews : why in Africa ?
