Chabad Lubavitch of Uganda
Chabad-Lubavitch in Uganda: the Raskins' Kampala centre, opened in 2017 as Chabad's 100th country, serving a mainly Israeli community; it greeted Benjamin Netanyahu's 2020 visit
| Chabad of Uganda
| |
|---|---|
| Type | Chabad-Lubavitch emissary operation |
| Founded | October 2017 |
| Founder(s) | Moishe Raskin and Yocheved Raskin |
| Headquarters | Kampala |
| Area served | Uganda |
| Key people | Moishe (Moshe) Raskin and Yocheved Raskin |
| Remarks | Affiliations: Chabad-Lubavitch of Central Africa (Kinshasa). Announced as the 100th country with a permanent Chabad presence |
Chabad-Lubavitch in Uganda was established in Kampala in October 2017 by Rabbi Moishe (Moshe) Raskin and his wife Yocheved, who came from Israel. It was announced at the International Conference of Chabad-Lubavitch Emissaries in November 2017 as the 100th country with a permanent Chabad presence.[1][2] Chabad of Central Africa had sent visiting rabbinical students to Uganda since at least 1999.[1] Chabad describes a community of "some 400 Jews, mostly Israelis", along with "Jewish diplomats and NGO staffers".[1] In February 2020 Raskin met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the airport and supplied kosher meals for his delegation.[3]
Emissaries and centre
- Before deciding to settle, the Raskins ran Purim and Passover programmes in Kampala.[1]
- Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky of Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch described the 100-country milestone as "a momentous achievement".[1]
- COLlive (2020) says the Raskins "established the first synagogue in the country's history when they arrived in 2019".[3]
Relations with the wider Jewish community
Uganda has an indigenous Jewish community, the Abayudaya, numbering about 2,000 in 2016. Most of its members converted under Conservative rabbis and so are "not recognized as Jewish by Israel's Orthodox Chief Rabbinate". Its leader, Rabbi Gershom Sizomu, was elected to the Ugandan parliament in 2016, and in September 2016 the community opened a new synagogue centre in Nabagoye.[4] Chabad's descriptions of its own community cover Israelis, diplomats and NGO staff, and do not mention the Abayudaya.[1]
Relations with the state and Israel
- Netanyahu visit, 2020. On 3 February 2020 Raskin greeted Benjamin Netanyahu at the airport ("I'm the Shliach of the Rebbe") and provided "72 kosher meat meals" for his delegation of 45. COLlive's report noted that Uganda's president, Yoweri Museveni, is "a long-standing ally of Israel, which trains some elements of the Ugandan security forces" (citing Yahoo News). At the time Museveni was considering opening an embassy in Jerusalem.[3]
- Chabad.org's 2017 announcement recalled the 1976 Entebbe raid, in which Yoni Netanyahu was killed.[1]
Funding and donors
None found.
Controversies
None found.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1999 | First Chabad "Roving Rabbis" visit Uganda |
| Oct 2017 | The Raskins establish Chabad of Uganda in Kampala |
| 19 Nov 2017 | Announced as Chabad's 100th country |
| 3 Feb 2020 | Raskin greets Netanyahu and caters for his delegation |
See also
- Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Uganda
- Chabad Lubavitch of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Chabad Lubavitch of Rwanda
- Chabad Lubavitch of Kenya
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Dovid Margolin, "Uganda Becomes the 100th Country With Chabad", Chabad.org, 19 November 2017. Chabad-side.
- ↑ "Uganda is 100th outpost for Chabad-Lubavitch", Jewish Telegraphic Agency, 20 November 2017. Press.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 COLlive reporter, "Sholem Aleichem, Shliach Tells Netanyahu in Uganda", COLlive, 3 February 2020. Chabad-side.
- ↑ Josefin Dolsten, "Lacking status in Israel, Jews in Uganda see new synagogue as 'our Jerusalem'", Jewish Telegraphic Agency, 15 September 2016. Press.