As the African proverb says: “Where the roots are preserved, the fruits are of good quality”. When we speak of the Torah, we are talking about ancestral wisdom.
What binds us to Western Jews and elsewhere is our shared love for the Torah. It makes us friends, family and builds lasting relationships. The Torah creates societal models where high moral standards and achievements should be displayed and practiced. Our young people come in front of their elders. Every elder and member of the male family comes and makes Tefilin’s straps around the young man’s arm. Everyone blesses him. This young person is supposed to remember that moment throughout his adult life, every time he puts on his Tefilin. Initiation is essential for us.
Girls go through their own initiation rituals with women, to become women themselves. All according to their traditions. We love the Torah, its laws, its sages, its written and oral heritage. But we are also bound by our deep commitment to the development of the African continent. All our African cultures and traditions must be able to participate in the positive development of the whole continent. Until we achieve respect and harmony for and in all African communities. Each Jewish community in Africa seeks to be an inspiration to all other communities in their own country. We are proud of our countries and we want to contribute to the well-being of our nations and our states. We are confident in the possessions that the Torah can provide.
When we talk about the Torah in Africa.
