2022 Kulanu Impact Stories – Tanzania
Dear Friends,
As 2022 comes to a close, we are reflecting on Kulanu’s support for global Jewish communities over the past year, and showing how your donations transform Jewish lives. Today, we want to share developments from Tanzania’s Jewish community – one of Kulanu’s most recent partner communities, who joined us in 2019.
Based in Arusha, the Bnei Levi community is led by Yehudah Amir Kalahane, who is of partial Ethiopian and Yemenite Jewish descent, and his wife Efrat. The community is developing the necessary infrastructure to observe halachah according to orthodox norms.
Since 2019, Kulanu has assisted with a number of projects in Tanzania to strengthen the community, funding holiday celebrations, a mikveh construction project, and internet and technology costs, as well as offering speaking opportunities. Yehudah says:
“Kulanu is the first organization ever to support us, and are also an inspiration for us. Since 2019, they helped us to complete a mikveh building that had run out of funds, sent us a laptop so we can connect with Jews around the world and study more easily, and provided Judaica that is relevant to our specific needs and our standards of observance.”
Board members Lili Kaufmann and Ari Greenspan have offered support and guidance in person. In Yehudah’s words:
“The most important contribution is the personal connections Kulanu have made for us, especially with [board members] Lili Kaufmann and Ari Greenspan, and other supportive rabbinic figures. Lili Kaufmann discovered me back in the year 2000 when I was a young and religious, but isolated. There was no internet here, no religious Jewish visitors to the country, and we initially resisted outside communication – something that Lili respected and upheld. We appreciate that Kulanu respects our Jewish practice and supports us in honoring our tradition.”
“The Sub-Saharan African Jewish Conference earlier this month was a very motivating experience. To be with so many African Jews in one place was inspiring and eye opening.”
Your donations help Kulanu’s partner communities to flourish – just like this community in Tanzania. Our partner communities truly enrich the Jewish world.
Please donate online now to secure Kulanu’s future! Your contributions alone allow us to continue our mission of supporting isolated, emerging, and returning Jewish communities around the globe.With warm regards from “all of us” at Kulanu.
PS – If you have already given, thank you! We appreciate your generosity.