Kenya

The Kenyan Kasuku Jewish community in rural Gathundia started in the year 2000 when a group broke away from a Christian church in favor of pursuing the Jewish faith. They built their own synagogue from tree trunks and plastic sheeting on the land of two community elders, appropriately named Abraham and Sarah. Yehuda Kimani acts as a spokesperson for the community and communicates regularly with Kulanu and with friends, supporters, and visitors.

Kulanu has also worked with a bar mitzvah family and other supporters to raise funds for a major social hall and kitchen that the Jewish community will use for kiddush and social gatherings and that they also will share with non-Jewish neighbors.

Rabbi Gershom Sizomu, from the neighboring Ugandan Abayudaya community, has formally converted many members of the Kasuku Jewish community. Kulanu supported travel costs for one group from Kenya to go to Uganda for conversions.

Yehudah Kimani wrote:

The Kehillat Kasuku is a Jewish community located in the central part of Kenya, about 2-3 away northwards from Nairobi city of Kenya. We are about 130 people practicing Judaism and living a peaceful life together with other people of different faiths. When we met Kulanu president first in Uganda in about 2007, we started a relationship and Kulanu has been of much help every year with the following: 1. Paying Internet fee every year 2. Computer room 3. Electricity bills 4. Post office annual fee among others