Shabbat in Nabagoye

It is now Monday as I write, but between the power being on and off, the internet router sometimes being in the guest house and sometimes borrowed by others, Shabbat and our activities, this is the first time I could actually write about our amazing Shabbat in Nabagoye.

 As the sky turned to shades of purple, gold and pink and the sun began to sink low, we ushered in Shabbat at the Moses synagogue with the traditional psalms accompanied by guitars and the punctuation of African drumbeats.  Hebrew flowed seamlessly into Lugandan (one of the many languages spoken in the village) and the community members knew everything by heart.  The prayers came to life as the congregation, from youngest to eldest, sang in harmonies that reminded me of Ladysmith Black Mambazo – they are influenced by the music of other African countries as well as Uganda.  I had to literally pinch myself to be sure I was really here praying with the Abayudaya community that I’d learned about and longed to visit for so long.  The tunes that I was used to hearing on recordings and teaching to the Torah Tones, Mount Zion’s adult choir, were enveloping me live!  I had goose bumps as I heard the young but strong voices of the littlest members of the kahal who sang with great enthusiasm.*

As we moved past the opening psalms into the main part of the service, the instruments were put away, but the pulpit still served as a wonderful “drum” for the service leaders.   The power went on and off several times throughout the service, so at times we could only see the light of the two Shabbat candles sitting on a chair in the corner of the synagogue.  After the service, we joined together in a tent outside the synagogue for a Shabbat dinner that our group sponsored for the community.

As if Shabbat evening were not special enough, the morning highlight was calling four women to the Torah as b’not mitzvah, the first time adult women had become b’not mitzvah in this community.  Each one led a part of the service or chanted Torah, gave a short d’var Torah and received blessings from several family members plus the rabbi who is related to almost all of them.  It was 

very moving.

After a great Shabbat walk to see where Semei Kukungulu, the founder of the Abayudaya, is buried, I spent some time talking with Rabbi Sizomu and one of his brothers, Aaron Kintu Moses who runs the Hadassah Primary School here.  Everyone in our group seemed to enjoy the quiet and relaxed atmosphere of Shabbat. 

The day ended with a group of children leading Havdalah in the middle of a big circle of adults.  There was no wine because it is difficult to get kosher wine here, especially since grapes don’t grow in Uganda.  The spices were fragrant leaves from a tree.  Our voices joined together in Debbie Friedman's havdalah tunes as we said goodbye to Shabbat and ushered in another fascinating week in Uganda.

*If you’re interested in hearing music from the Abayudaya, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YVEF3vq9lM  and/or you can purchase a CD (a 2005 Grammy Award Nominee for Best Traditional World Album) at http://www.folkways.si.edu/abayudaya-music-from-the-jewish-people-of-uganda/judaica-sacred-world/album/Smithsonian

--Rachel Stock Spilker

Soccer, Stitches, Shabbat

All week while walking through the village people would come up to me asking if I was ready for Friday, the day the muzungu (white people) would play football (soccer) in a game with the local people, including Jews from the local Abayudaya community and Muslims and Christians. We also have had the pleasure to bring with us 18 soccer balls donated by The Sanneh Foundation and the Forman family.

After a beautiful concert in the morning and observing the preparations for Shabbat, we headed off to the field to play. Our big moment was upon us, Ben and I were ready to play in a competitive game of the sport we love in the middle of Africa.  We were guided up to the field and greeted by the couple of teammates who were expecting us, the rest of the team was very confused at these white people who expected to play. The coach questioned whether or not we were prepared to play on their field, a pristine pitch filled with rocks and bumps. I was to start in goal and Ben was coming on as a substitute. Looking around me, I took a second to realize just how beautiful of a location we were in and how lucky I was to be playing the sport I loved there. It was a unique experience, with a motorcycle and rooster whizzing through the field, assistant referees using tree branches instead of the typical flags and goats among the intrigued onlookers. It was interesting knowing the fans surrounding the field were talking about me, but still having no idea what they were saying (Ben did learn that muzungu was not only used for white people, but for bad soccer players, “you’re playing like a muzungu”). When I would make a save the fans would hoot and holler in excitement and surprise that a muzungu could actually play. At half we were winning 1-0 and my team seemed very happy with my performance.

(all photos credit Curt Brown)

Shortly after the second half had begun my unique and crazy soccer experience in Uganda took a turn for the worse. I came out to head the ball out of my box and an opposing player headed me right in the face. After getting up I realized that I was gushing blood and the whole team had surrounded me. I thought it was a bloody nose, but after walking back to the guest house through a barbed wired fence, accompanied by a small army of little kids, we realized I had a big gash in my lip. Isaac, our trusty guide, ran to get the car and we were off to seek medical care. It was at that Jewish Clinic (the Tobin Health Center) that my multi-faith team of nurses (Hakim the Muslim and Barbara with cross earrings) gave me 12 stitches amid many power outages and with the help of a headlamp brought by big sister Kenzie. After the procedure was done, we took pictures and Hakim told us the cost: 20,000 Ugandan shillings or the equivalent of about $8.

Me and my nurse Hakim after he stitched me up.

We returned back to the guest house, exactly two hours after the incident, to learn that the Rabbi had told the whole congregation at services that evening one of the Americans was in the hospital. We were also happy to hear that Ben had successfully played twenty minutes at the end of the match and only suffered an eight-Band Aid abrasion on his left leg. An unforgettable experience and one I will truly remember forever: The muzungu had played football with the locals, for what probably was the first time for them and for us was definitely the last.   

Off to paint the synagogue 

Zac Brown

From T'filot to Toothbrushes, From Nets to Nile

We started off Thursday with a morning service led by the four women becoming adult b’not mitzvah this Shabbat. They had many familiar tunes, but the Abayudaya music was amazing. Everyone was adding harmonies, including the children, adding to the spirited sound. 

The four b'not mitzvah with Rabbi Sizomu

Hakafah!

After the service, many of the villagers, including Jews, Muslims, and Christians, gathered so we could distribute the mosquito bed nets and dental supplies that we donated on behalf of Mount Zion. As we walked around the village later, we noticed the toothbrushes and toothpaste being put to good use as we saw many kids enthusiastically brushing their teeth. We later learned that most people had previously been cleaning their teeth with twigs and leaves that they found. 

We also presented $750 from our group, which will be use for micro-loans.  It will help with start-up businesses without having to incur the steep interest rates that a bank would charge.  Once the business person earns the amount of their loan, they pay it back so someone else can borrow.   

We donated  many supplies (thank you Mount Zion!)

Women holding their toothbrushes

A demonstration of how to use a mosquito net

Children receiving their toothbrushes

There was a very long line for mosquito nets

The group on the bank of the Nile

 Later that evening, we traveled to Jinja to see the source of the Nile, which bubbles out of Lake Victoria. On the bank of the Nile we saw a statue of Gandhi commemorating one of the 17 places in the world that his ashes were spread. 

This morning (Friday) we saw an amazing performance by Hope Troupe Uganda, a music and dance group composed of orphans from many of the surrounding villages. Boy, could they move! They even got us up and dancing!

Hope Troupe Uganda

Hope Troupe Mount Zion

Now we are preparing for Shabbat with the community, and I mean the entire community, by making challah, slaughtering goats and chickens (actually), and cleaning up. We look forward to a special and relaxing Shabbat. Shabbat Shalom to all of you who celebrate!

-Eiden Spilker