Chabad Lubavitch of Kenya
Revision as of 19:53, 20 October 2026 by Chabad Bot (talk | contribs) (New Chabad country profile (Sub-Saharan Africa series))
Chabad-Lubavitch in Kenya: an independent Chabad rabbi from 2014, a Chabad couple at the Nairobi Hebrew Congregation from 2016, and the Notiks' Chabad of Kenya since 2023, guarded by Kenyan anti-terror police
| Chabad of Kenya
| |
|---|---|
| Type | Chabad-Lubavitch emissary operation |
| Founded | 2016 (first Chabad-sent couple); present centre 2023 |
| Founder(s) | Avromy Super and Sternie Super (2016); Levi Notik and Chaya Mushka Notik (2023) |
| Headquarters | Nairobi (diplomatic district, near the US and Israeli embassies) |
| Area served | Kenya |
| Key people | Levi Notik and Chaya Mushka Notik |
| Remarks | Website chabad-kenya.com. Says it "is not funded by any organization or institution" |
Chabad-Lubavitch in Kenya has had three phases in Nairobi.
- In 2014 Rabbi Shmuel Notik, a Chabad follower from Israel, came "on his own" to serve Israelis. JTA says he "wasn't sent by the Chabad movement".[1]
- In 2016 Chabad sent Rabbi Avromy Super and his wife Sternie to serve as rabbi of the Nairobi Hebrew Congregation, Nairobi's only synagogue, then 112 years old. JTA reported this as Chabad's "first outreach center in East Africa".[2][1]
- Since 2023, Rabbi Levi Notik and his wife Chaya Mushka Notik have run Chabad of Kenya. In September 2026 it moved into a new centre on Nairobi's "diplomat row", near the US and Israeli embassies and the UN office.[3][4] Kenya's anti-terror police secure Chabad's major events, and they guarded the original premises around the clock for months after 7 October 2023.[5]
Emissaries and centres
- Shmuel Notik (from 2014). A 28-year-old father of two, Notik was robbed by six men armed with knives on his way to blow the shofar soon after arriving. JTA said his community grew "from just a few dozen members into a congregation comprising hundreds", with a kindergarten, a mikvah and two premises. He also held "evening classes for Kenyans on Jewish-Christian commonalities".[1]
- Avromy Super and Sternie Super (from 2016). Sent to help the Nairobi Hebrew Congregation at Passover 2016, they took up the post at the High Holidays. Super had studied at the Chabad yeshiva in Congo.[2] JTA said he planned "to transform the city's century-old synagogue into a community center".[1]
- Levi Notik and Chaya Mushka Notik (from 2023). They arrived with their one-year-old son. Notik said: "When we moved here, we thought starting in a smaller house would be enough, but within six months, we knew we needed something bigger."[3][4] The new centre was dedicated on Sunday 6 September 2026, with nearly 100 guests, "diplomats" and "senior Kenyan officials". It has a synagogue, a kindergarten classroom, two guest houses and a Hebrew school.[5][4] The long-term aim is a permanent property with a mikvah.[4]
- Editor's note: The sources do not say whether Levi Notik is related to Shmuel Notik, or what became of the Supers' post and Shmuel Notik's congregation. An older Chabad page spoke of a "Permanent Chabad House in joint venture with the Nairobi Hebrew Congregation"; whether this happened is not confirmed.[6]
Relations with the wider Jewish community
The Nairobi Hebrew Congregation is Kenya's historic synagogue. Its members include "Kenyan Jews with roots in Europe; American, British and South African expats, and Israelis".[2] Chabad first entered Kenya officially by supplying the congregation with a rabbi, not as a rival body.[2] Lubavitch.com describes "Nairobi's roughly 500 Jewish families", including many "diplomats posted to the U.S. and Israeli Embassies, the United Nations and other missions". It also notes that "Nairobi's only mikvah is old and sits in an area residents avoid at night".[5]
Relations with the state, security and Israel
- Kenyan police. "Kenya's anti-terror police unit secures Chabad's major events. It guarded the original location around the clock for months after October 7. Embassy security now patrols their street."[5]
- Location. The new centre is "close to the American Embassy, a few hundred meters from the U.N. office and minutes from the Israeli Embassy", and is "strategically located in terms of security".[4]
- Officials. "Senior Kenyan officials" and diplomats attended the 2026 dedication.[4]
- Editor's note: The officials and embassies represented at the dedication are not named in the sources reviewed.
Funding and donors
Chabad of Kenya says it "is not funded by any organization or institution", and that everything is paid for by donations.[3] No named donors or accounts were found.
Controversies
None found.
Timeline
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2014 | Shmuel Notik arrives in Nairobi independently |
| 2016 | Avromy and Sternie Super sent as rabbi of the Nairobi Hebrew Congregation |
| 2023 | Levi and Chaya Mushka Notik start Chabad of Kenya |
| Oct 2023 onwards | Anti-terror police guard the centre |
| 6 Sep 2026 | New centre on diplomat row dedicated |
See also
- Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Kenya
- Chabad Lubavitch of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Chabad Lubavitch of Uganda
- Chabad Lubavitch of Tanzania
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Cnaan Liphshiz, "As Chabad grows in Africa, hardy rabbis encounter crime and spirituality", Jewish Telegraphic Agency, 7 September 2016. Press.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Chabad opening its first center in East Africa", Jewish Telegraphic Agency, 14 July 2016. Press.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Chabad of Kenya, "About Us", chabad-kenya.com, accessed 20 October 2026. Chabad-side.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Tzali Reicher, "Jews of Kenya Celebrate High Holidays in New Center", Chabad.org, 15 September 2026. Chabad-side.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Leibel Kahan, "Chabad of Kenya Opens New Center, Starts Search for Bigger One", Lubavitch.com, 9 October 2026. Chabad-side.
- ↑ Chabad-Lubavitch of Central Africa, "Our Locations", JewishAfrica.com, accessed 20 October 2026 (undated). Chabad-side.