There was a fascinating presentation about Jews in Africa last Thursday night. It included slides, African songs and an intriguing talk by Jay Sand, a historian and activist who described the remarkable Jewish communities he has visited throughout Africa. Presentations like this overturn any simplistic notions of race, offering hope that our own community might come to embrace a more enlightened paradigm of identity. Sand recounted his travels to several African Jewish villages, and some of the theories regarding the spread of the Jewish faith to these lands. Most notable and commendable was his emphasis on the people's own explanations of their origins, rather than the answers that might be offered by historians. The merit of this, it seems, is that it reflects a certain trust and faith in indigenous peoples, enabling us to construct a history of the human race that is less vulnerable to the lingering bias of established theory.

Jewish communities exist all over Africa in Mali, Nigeria, Congo, Cameroon, Ghana, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. According to Sands, the phrase "African Jews" does not properly convey the variation found among the many communities there. It was good to be reminded that our use of labels sometimes fails to reflect the truths of human diversity.

Sand described two types of communities: those with ancient Jewish lineage, and those who have converted. Ethiopian Jews are an example of the former, having practiced Judaism since the time of the Old Testament. Unlike most other communities, they have been anxious to leave their war-torn country. While the thousands who have settled in Israel have become protective of their African customs, those still waiting to emigrate tend to be more guarded.

The Lemba of southern Africa, though not practicing Jews, keep many Jewish customs such as circumcision and dietary laws. Most provocative has been the identification of a DNA marker that otherwise only occurs among a limited group of the world Jewish population. Its presence among the Lemba suggests that the ancient Jews had far-reaching ties. For the Abayudaya of Uganda, Judaism arrived much later and by conversion. This population, though rural, said Sand, uses e-mail and stays abreast of world affairs.

Little anecdotes like this always amaze me, and I find it inspiring to think that such small, simple details can singlehandedly overturn so many common perceptions about both Africans and Jews. In some future talk, I would like to learn more about the possibility that migration also occurred from Africa and other continents to ancient Israel, which would afford me and other Jews a richer view of our own origin.