By Lili Kaufmann
Lili and her husband Barry have been active in the Tampa
(Florida) Jewish community for the last 40 years. Lili
currently is serving as a committee member of the Jewish
Agency for Israel and on the Advisory Board of the Jewish
Agency of North America.
When one journeys to Tanzania, it is usually to go on a safari or to go on an expedition to climb the legendary Mount Kilimanjaro — the highest peak in Africa. Indeed, this was my plan in September 2000. My journey to Tanzania began in September 2000 after traveling to Turkey and Israel. By the time I arrived in Arusha, Tanzania (after a 7-hour bus ride from Nairobi), I was only looking forward to meeting the group and finally achieving my goal of hiking “the mountain.” Little did I know that I would meet a religious Jewish Tanzanian. Peres Parpaih, a member of the tour company staff, heard me discussing my Israeli travels and was in awe that I was Jewish and had regularly traveled to Israel. He, too, was Jewish! Peres was a college student at the time and had aspirations to study law and further his Jewish education. He was of Ethiopian and Yemenite descent and longed to someday travel to Israel, especially because he had/has family there. At the time, he worked as a tour company staff member to support himself through school. He related how challenging it was to be Jewish in an overwhelmingly Christian country and to be fearful of his identity. He had to keep a very secular name to avoid rampant discrimination. He did not ask for financial help, but instead wanted religious items, especially “holy candles.” I truly was amazed at his humility and identity as a Jew.
Indeed, upon my return, we sent many Judaic items, including the candles. My husband and I agreed that Peres was someone we should financially help as well, to help him achieve his educational goals. We continued our long-distance connection for many years as he struggled to stay in school and achieve his goals, despite the financial hardships. He kept us updated on his academic success and I hoped to travel back to be at his law school graduation. Regretfully, I was not able to travel then, but we received many photos of that memorable day. A number of years later, he married Lilian Efrat, an outstanding and capable young Jewish woman who is well educated and also has her own career. Now they are parents of three beautiful daughters. Together, they have been building and growing the Jewish community in Arusha.
In 2016, my husband and I finally journeyed back to Tanzania. We were overwhelmed by their efforts to work in their careers, raise three children, build a synagogue on their property, and teach Judaism to a growing number of participants. A dedication plaque was placed on the synagogue, honoring and thanking us for our support. We realized how hard Peres worked to fulfill his dreams and goals of living his Jewish heritage and providing for the next generation. A year ago, they traveled to Israel where they reconnected with Yemenite relatives, as their eldest daughter became a bat mitzvah there. Twenty years ago, the last thing I expected was to find a dedicated Jewish leader-in-the-making in Tanzania. As I read over our correspondence of the past twenty years, I realized that Peres had never wavered in his goals and focus which he had set his mind and heart on. Today, there is a strong and growing community, a result of hard work and a love of Judaism. Kol HaKavod, Peres (Yehudah Amir) and Lilian (Efrat)!