My Thoughts and Findings Inspired By My Presentations At (AJHS) Biennial Conference 2022 (ISGAP) 2022- Sephardic Jewish Rabbinical Ruling that Igbos Are Israelites 2022

by Remy Ilona

SUMMARYThe Igbo people have been known as ‘Jews’ throughout much of the modern period. They were known as such when ‘Jew’ was an ugly label, and could invite attacks, and possibly death, but instructively rather than reject it, they wore it like a badge proudly. Over 90% of the books written about Biafra by foreigners noted that Igbos were known as ‘Jews of Africa.’As a historian, and cultural theorist I have followed what I wrote above with much interest, and my observation is that over the years, the identification of Igbos as Jews has been parallelized by new developments that need to be studied, and understood.Some Igbos, numbering in the thousands have sought to become ‘Jews’ officially by looking for resources, and setting up Rabbinic Jewish communities. Some of them have converted to Rabbinic Judaism, and have become bona fide members of the global Jewish Community. As Conservative, Ultra-Orthodox, Reform Jews, they have all the rights that other Jews have-including the right to do aliyah (to return to Israel).Igbo members of the millions strong Sabbath religion are presently seeing themselves as not just Jews by ethnicity, but as Jews by religion. The Sabbath religion was one of the Igbo resistance tools against Euro religio-cultural-political colonialism and domination.Members of the general Igbo community; locked down and fully into Afrocentrism, and ‘black’ politics, have not been able to disengage themselves from the ‘discomfort’ of being identified with Jews. Many write well-received books about Igbos as lineal descendants of the Israelites, whose more correct Israelite identity is not ‘Jews,’ but ‘Hebrew’ which is English translation for Igbo or Ibo. Others try to ‘prove’ that Igbos were older than all streams of humanity, including Jews whom they could not avoid comparing to the Igbos. And when even those who have become academics in Western countries discuss Igbo experiences which have been tragic, they find themselves comparing Igbos and Jews. Members of the Jewish community, both in the Jewish State, in the United States, and other parts of their Diaspora, have taken an interest in all these. About twenty years ago, both political and religious authorities in Israel took steps which are major blunders. Perhaps the leaders of the State then had forgotten about the special relationship between the State of Israel and the Igbos prior to the tragedies in Biafra, Igboland, and Nigeria. Many Jews had tried to be part of the story of what I regard as the fundamentally important development we are seeing as it develops in the Igbo community. Then in 2022 several things happened, and I decided to write this book, to give all the parties who have interest, information that will help them negotiate their way through what I will call mine-fields. It is important that Jews have an idea about how Igbos who are familiar with Jewish history and culture, and with Igbo history and Omenana, see Jews, and Judaism. Expectedly perhaps, because of history and racial politics, some African Americans and Caribbeans have a part in this unfolding story. Though this book is an academic study, the readers are assured they will not be able to put it down.

70 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 9, 2022