Our fall newsletter features an article about Kulanu’s joyous encounter with the Beth Yeshourun Congregation in Cameroon, West Africa. This community has been practicing Judaism for twelve years, teaching themselves how to be observant Jews via the Internet and from correspondence with helpful rabbis, but they had never met a Jew in person.  When I got an email from community leader Serge Etele last March, I passed it on to Kulanu’s volunteers, Rabbis Gerald and Bonita Sussman, and they immediately made plans to visit in July, 2010.

It gives me great pride, as Kulanu’s president, to introduce this special community in Cameroon to the worldwide Jewish community. Don’t miss the the article about the Sussman’s visit and the fabulous album of videos and photos at kulanu.phanfare.com

I especially love the videos of a little girl reciting the aleph bet, a little boy singing Oseh Shalom, and the whole community singing Lecha Dodi and other songs to their own original melodies. We’re working on getting professional videographers to tell the story of this community with more professional lighting and cameras, but in the meantime, these initial photos and videos from Serge Etele and Rabbi Bonita Sussman are priceless.

Photos: Little girl at Passover seder by Serge Etele, Woman Baking Challah by Rabbi Bonita Sussman.