Blogging the Omer day 15: Brachah alaiv Rabbi Gershom Sizomu
Day 15,
Week Three: Tiferet
Day One: Chesed (Chesed of Tiferet)
(Two weeks and one day of the Omer)
JTA notes the upcoming ordination of the marvelous and lovely person Gershom Sizomu.
Why is this interesting to JTA? Gershom Sizomu will become the first officially ordained rabbi of Uganda’s Abayudaya Jews. He will be ordained in a few days at American Jewish University (formerly University of Judaism) from the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies (as will our very own equally fabulous Danya Ruttenberg!).
Sizomu, inherits the spiritual leadership of his community, through his father and grandfather.
Some 1,000 Abayudaya Jews live in five Ugandan villages. …Most Abayudaya Jews converted in 2004, and hundreds of the children now attend the Hadassah School, where they learn Hebrew and Jewish studies along with a general curriculum.
At the end of May, Sizomu will return with his wife and three children to Uganda to reassume leadership of the Abayudaya.”
By the way, he also has a lovely accent. And a nice singing voice which is featured (as is his wife’s) on the Grammy award winning nominated Abayudaya: Music from the Jewish People of Uganda from the Smithsonian’s Folkways records.
And many blessings upon Danya as well.
I, too, love Gershom. However, his CD was only nominated for a Grammy. He and the rest of the Abayudaya lost to Ladysmith Black Mumbaza. Still, he’s the only Grammy-nominated, African born Conservative Rabbi I know.
—the radical cleric · May 5th, 2008 at 6:55 pm
The Abuyadaya are not some far out group of kooks who claim Jewish roots. They have been living as Jews since 1920 and have over the past decade undergone halachic conversion.
They have a Jewish school and Batei Knesset.
Now they will have an ordained rabbi.
They may be the only active Jewish community without running water and a regular electric hook-up.
But one thing they will no lack for - a wonderful spiritual leader.
—Meir Eynaim · May 6th, 2008 at 8:58 am