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THE IGBO Benayah Israel 264 Views • 4 years ago

(Video Clips From)
RE-EMERGING: The Jews of Nigeria
https://www.amazon.com/RE-EMER....GING-Nigeria-Jeff-L-

Here's a Video Review By Karl Weaver -
This is another independent film with a modest budget, written and directed by an American Jewish director, Jeff Lieberman. The Igbo are a large tribal group in Nigeria (the largest and possibly wealthiest nation in sub-Saharan Africa). Most of them are Christian, but some tens of thousands of them are convinced they are actually descended from Jews who fled south and west during one of the diaspora, and as of 2012 when the film was made there were about 28 synagogues scattered about the country, all in areas of Igbo population.

As many of you know, Nigeria is an increasingly troubled country. Always problematic has been the split between Christians and Muslims (with the survival of native religious traditions as well). Nigeria is rich in oil, and as in many other oil-producing countries, the oil has done more to line the pockets of politicians and foreign corporations and very little to improve the lot of most of the population. For years there have been attacks on oil pipes and production facilities, and more recently the growth of the radical Islamic terrorist group, Boko Haram. Amidst all of that, the film concentrates solely on Igbo communities, and mostly on the Igbo who are practicing Judaism.

The director presents a variety of reasons why there may be some truth to this: similarities between Igbo words and old Hebrew words; close similarities of some traditions, such as circumcision and Sabbath, etc. The State of Israel has not acknowledged the Igbo, even those practicing Judaism, as Jewish or having a right to immigrate, but perhaps that is due to the indigestion it is still getting over after absorbing the last African immigrant population. He says the Igbo resist DNA testing which might help to prove or disprove whether they are genetically related to middle-eastern Jews, but interestingly many Igbo were also brought to the US as slaves (at least 50,000) and the film states the only other new-world country which may have more blacks of Igbo descent than the Carolinas is Jamaica (also a frequent stop on slave ship routes).

The Igbo who have adopted Judaism of course have done it in their own way: they set the prayers and writings to song and sing them communally, with beautiful voices. The colors of their clothes are vivid and beautiful. The general tone of the documentary is upbeat; remarkably so considering the problems that exist in Nigeria as a whole. I definitely enjoyed watching it, and give it a B+. It lists 6 awards on its front jacket.