By Avraham Ben Avraham

In the last one decade, Judaism has seen significant growth, particularly among the Igbos, who are increasingly embracing a return to traditional mainstream Judaism. In pursuit of the ancient truth, the old ways—and the state of cultural existence before colonization—numerous individuals have felt compelled to undertake this sacred journey. As awareness grows in the midst of an endless flow of knowledge, the notable parallels between certain traditional customs of the land and various laws in the Torah have established a foundation for the current acceptance and embrace of Rabbinical Judaism among the Igbos and neighboring tribes in Nigeria.

According to current statistics, there are nearly a hundred Jewish locations throughout the country, varying in size from communities to synagogues and congregations. As the number of adherents grows, the necessity of learning to read the Hebrew language has also emerged. Typically, it is observed that most individuals who concentrate on reading Ivrit are cantors, primarily for the purpose of leading prayer services. Another factor is that established Jewish schools offering Hebrew reading as a subject are rarely available. Records indicate that there are currently only about 3 to 5 Jewish-owned schools in the country.

Nonetheless, there have been commendable efforts from certain individuals who have dedicated themselves to teaching Hebrew to others in order to bridge this gap. In reality, adults take longer to grasp reading Ivrit, which is why the focus has been on younger children and teenagers. One of the classes that has remained consistent for several years is led by David Yahuderek. Having learnt to read Hebrew from Eben Cohen, he decided to share his knowledge with others at Har Shalom Synagogue. The classes take place in the synagogue primarily on Sundays and in the evenings on certain weekdays.

Despite the average limited meeting hours, notable progress was still being achieved. Students are facing challenges due to the absence of textbooks and other materials essential for a seamless learning experience. However, several younger boys who went through the class have become remarkably quick and precise in reading the Hebrew text. In the subsequent year, adults and certain elderly individuals started to enroll in the class, adhering to a flexible schedule and learning at their own pace.

However, just as the learning was gaining traction, an unexpected setback arose due to vandalism and interruptions in the public electricity supply in the rural area where the Synagogue is located. This continued for months, and eventually for years, placing increasing demands on the synagogue to maintain the class, as they had to rely on a small petrol generator to provide power at night. In addition to one or two Sunday classes each month, weekday classes take place occasionally in the early evening hours, prior to the communal Maariv, after which students return to their homes in the neighborhood. After the Torah study concludes on Wednesdays at approximately 9 pm, they engage in Hebrew learning until 11 pm before settling down for the night in the two guest rooms available in the synagogue.

Nevertheless, the recent removal of the petrol subsidy by the new Nigerian government has led to a significant increase in gasoline and petrol prices, which has subsequently caused a dramatic rise in the cost of everything, including food and other essential goods. The synagogue management, already facing challenges in supporting members in diverse ways, found it increasingly difficult to sustain evening gatherings. Often, the children in the class prefer these night classes since they need to rest and assist their parents after returning from school before attending the synagogue.

By the time Kulanu learned about the situation in the Hebrew class, they intervened by providing solar electricity for the synagogue, consisting of solar batteries, solar panels, and a control unit.

“We revived our weekday Torah study class the moment we lit up the synagogue. Once a week we study Torah, learning Hebrew late into the night before going to bed.”

Yehudit, the ima of the synagogue, spoke in excitement. And one of the young female students, Chimuanya, expressed her satisfaction with improvements in the Hebrew language.

“I think I have been struggling to learn faster when we have very limited classes. But since the solar light got here, we have more classes at night, which improved my learning speed and ability to pronounce the words correctly.”

Like every technology that is leveraged, the intended outcome should be solving problems and tackling challenges while surmounting limitations. Through the power of the sunshine, the solar panel generates energy, which is transferred and stored in the solar batteries that eventually power the synagogue’s electrical systems during the day and, most importantly, at night when Torah studies and the Hebrew class take place. By utilizing their technology grant, Kulanu has provided the synagogue with an alternative power source, filling the void left by the local area government’s lack of public electricity for more than two years. Many have lauded this gesture of solar electrification, which illuminates the synagogue for Hebrew learning and Torah studies, as the first of its kind in Jewish Nigeria. With the steady availability of solar-powered light, ventilation discomfort due to the aluminum-zinc structural material of the shul building has been improved for members taking a nap in the synagogue on a hot afternoon during Shabbat and other festivals. And with a Wi-Fi connection available, members are able to access the internet within the premises, making them spend more time in the synagogue. The internet has also proven to be highly beneficial in the Hebrew class area, where it powers the computer and serves the slide protector to facilitate learning on larger screens.

During my recent visit to the synagogue at the beginning of the Hanukkah festival, I assessed the progress made and identified the remaining challenges. Kulanu did a tremendous effort equipping each student with a seat and table and a standard whiteboard for teaching. I was able to meet with some of the students whom I have not met for quite some time now, and it was good to see their level of reading Hebrew improve significantly. Every other thing seems to be going well at the moment, except for the efficiency of the solar system at night in the absence of sunshine, whereby it depends on whatever is stored in the two batteries currently in use. One of the young boys, Derek, spoke about his experience.

“Most times at night, the solar light is not fully at its best, which makes learning a little bit difficult.”

Further inquiry from the leader of the Synagogue, Yahuderek Nwede, revealed that the issue is insufficient batteries required to generate longer hours of electricity that would last into the night. 

“With the current capacity of the batteries we have, it can power our electric bulbs, computers, ceiling fans, but cannot be used to power the borehole for water generation. At night, we switch from one battery to the other one in a space of about two hours.”

Despite these night-time deficiencies, the synagogue is highly grateful for the solar electrification project. Because what used to be hours upon hours of zero electricity during the day and lengthy hours of darkness at night has readily changed in narrative. Thanks to Kulanu whose ultimate interest was on the progress and efficiency of the children’s Hebrew class that dates back to 2019- there’s hope of sustaining these classes.

Reaching out to David Yahuderek, the main teacher who was away at Abuja during my visit, he had this to say about his motivations.

“I have always dreamt of being a teacher since growing up, but I never knew it was going to be in this form. When the electricity in our area got badly damaged, all hope was gone and the class almost collapsed but Kulanu came onboard, and got us back on track. For this, I am grateful and will also wish to appreciate Margie Billian for her generous contribution to both the Hebrew class and the Synagogue.”