L’Chaim (newsletter) article, December 2021 - A New Jewish Connection in Mbale, Uganda

I like projects. You may have figured that out about me already, considering some of the endeavors we’ve embarked upon here at Ohev Shalom over the course of the last twelve-and-a-half years! I want to also state (for the record…) that I *do* love ritual and routine, and I think each of these concepts has its time and place. Annual traditions, holiday celebrations, and community customs and events are vital for creating togetherness, and for fostering a sense of belonging and familiarity. However, if we don’t also challenge ourselves to take on new ventures and invite unfamiliar perspectives, our beloved routines and rituals can easily become stale and hollow.
 
One way that I think we create newness and push ourselves to constantly evolve and change is through original (and hopefully somewhat innovative…) projects. As we round the corner into the last month of 2021, and begin to look ahead into 2022, I thought this would be an excellent time to explore something novel. Here is an idea that I am already mulling myself, and which I’d like to put forth to the congregation, to see if there is interest in taking on something new and different:
 
I recently began an unusual correspondence through Facebook. A man named Jonathan Mwosuko reached out to me about purchasing Jewish ritual objects from his group, called the Uganda Jewish Arts Special. Mr. Mwosuko comes from a small Jewish community, called the Nasenyi, located in the very small town of Mbale, located five hours by bus from the capital city of Kampala, Uganda. Over the course of the last few months, I have been learning more about the Nasenyi, and have been hearing about the extreme hardships and poverty they experience on a daily basis. I purchased several items from the Uganda Jewish Arts Special, in part to see what they produce and in part to confirm their story. They make beautiful hand-stitched and brightly colored kippot, as well as challah covers, tallit bags, baskets, and more! 
 
The items I ordered have arrived, but this does not (I hope) conclude my dealings with them. I want us to explore how we can partner with, and support, the Jews of Mbale. This is a Jewish community, one that has been there for a very long time, and we have an obligation to assist them in any way that we can. Mr. Mwosuko has already shared that they need clothing for their children, toiletries, mattresses and sheets, tallitot for their synagogue (the ones they currently have are tattered and often don’t have tzitzit attached!), and more. We may feel discouraged in our limited ability to change their circumstances, but we nevertheless must try.
In Pirkei Avot, a 2,000-year-old book of rabbinic wisdom, the ancient sage, Rabbi Tarfon, states: “It is not your duty to finish the work, but neither are you free to desist from it” (2:16). I have no idea how much we’ll be able to impact Jonathan Mwosuko and the Nasenyi Jewish community of Mbale. I hope to engage other congregations to purchase Judaica objects from them, and to bring some items to our own gift shop for people to purchase. Rabbi Miller and I have talked about connecting our Mispallelim students with the Nasenyi children. Perhaps future Mitzvah Projects for B’nai Mitzvah could incorporate our new friends in Uganda? There are so many possibilities! But will any of it make a lasting and significant difference? I do not know. But I am 100% certain that doing nothing won’t help them at all; and I firmly believe that we are obligated to try; to not desist from this holy work.
 
If anyone would like to learn more, and/or get involved in this project, please let me know. Thanks so much! 
 
Sincerely,
 
Rabbi Gerber