A thread form FACEBOOK
The deep vestiges of Christian missionaries have infected Nigerians. Chinazor Onianwah, a man I very much respect, goes off on these rants not because the tiny state of Israel would be a meaningful refuge for Africans but because somehow, Chinazor thinks Israel has an obligation not shared by the Arabs, African, or European, or Asian states.
Chinazor’s focus is based on an obsession with Jews. I doubt he shares this with Irene Alechenu Ella‘s extreme idea that the Igbo ARE Jewish by descent but China does seem to think Israel has some special reason to accept African refugees because, in his mind the Jews of today ARE the Jews who have been depicted in the Christian bible .. a chauvinist, stiff necked evil tribe.
I have gone so far as to suggest to this very good man that he take the time to learn more who we are … meet a rabbi, join any of us for Shabbat or better come to my home for Passover..
The story is actually rather simple: Israel was created as home for the Jews. It is now different from Japan, India, Korea, Norway, or any other state based on an ethnic population. Here in the US and Canada the indigenous nations all have rules similar to Israels.
1. All Jews share a heritage .. that is descent from the Judean people . This included the great bulk of us who can show genetic ancestry as well as the descendants of converts who have been accepted over the millennia.
2, The Judeans .. the citizens of Judea, by the times of Jesus had included the descendants of the Canaani. These people, especially West of the Jordan and North of Sinai had left there other religions .. Greek deities and Baal, to become part of the Jewish people. History that far back is fuzzy but most of this assimilation seems to have been by choice as there is only rare records, under Greek rule, of forced conversion. So, today’s Jews are in a real sense the last descendants of the Canaani.
A thread form FACEBOOK
Most Ashkenazim are genetic descendants, now proven by DNA analysis. They fled the Christians and the Romans to find safety in Andalusian Spain along with our Muslim brothers and sisters. When Andalaus fell to the Christians the Jews fled to many places including central Europe. Other,groups fled to Turkey and Karala,
3. Africans who wish to become Jewish are entirely welcome. There are even outreach programs in Africa for those who wish to become Jews. This includes people who have lost their genetic ties through intermarriage like the Lemba of South Africa. Ethiopians are a special case because of their deep and long history of a Jewish people in that land. The Ethiopians were rescued form oppression and .. while life is not perfect .. are now among Israel’s proudest Jews.
Currently Israel maintains outreach to peoples who claim to have lost tioes to the Jewish people .. this includes Indians, Africans, Indigenes in South America,
4. There is a vast difference between immigration and return. Israel regards itself as a sanctuary for all Jews. Any Jew is welcome and that actually especially includes converts. The major barrier to conversion si Jesus, and yes Nigeria.
BUT .. this is not evangelism. We welcome but do not encourage conversion.
5. Judaism is a strict monotheism. Worship of the Christian god man is antithetical with Judaism and repugnant because of the millennia of efforts at ethnocide and actual genocide by Christians. A convert needs to reject these other Gods .. including Jesus.