I love stories like this one particularly in light of all the crap floating around the net(primarily on the left) these days that Israel and/or Jews are racist.Â
I was living in Israel in the mid 1980s during Operation Moses and remember being struck by the beauty of the Ethiopian girls that had been rescuedon the wings of eagles. Alas I was married at the time.  Â
After five years of rabbinical studies in Los Angeles and Israel, Rabbi Gershom Sizomu has returned to the Abudaya Jewish tribe of Uganda with full spirits and his eyes on the future of his community.
In May 2008, Sizomu completed his studies at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at American Jewish University in Los Angeles (four in Los Angeles and one in Israel), Sizomu was ordained, then returned home with his family.
Since his return, he has been made chief rabbi of Uganda, completed 250 conversions, opened a yeshiva in Nabugoye Hill, fed nearby villages suffering from starvation and welcomed hundreds of Jewish guests from around the world in a modern guesthouse (with electricity and running water) that was funded by American Jews.
The Abayudaya (“People of Judah” in Luganda, the local language)- some 1,100 Jews in about eight communities – live mostly outside Mbale, a city some five hours east of Entebbe airport.These Ugandans have identified as Jews since 1919, when military leader Semei Kakungulu decided the Old Testament was true, and, when told that is what Jews practice, he reportedly said, “Then we will be Jewish!” He then circumcised himself and his sons and started a Jewish community.
Actually this ‘reversion’ to Jewish practises after becoming Christian is not all that uncommon. The Abayudaya of Uganda are one example. The Bnei Menashe of India  and the Jews of San Nicandro of Italy are two others. In all these cases there was one charismatic man who self converted and  others to join him.
The Beta Israel of Ethiopa are an exception. Their origin is unclear.  In all likelihood it was a ‘reversion’ of a group to Jewish practises. This is particularly likely given the unique emphasis of the Old Testament in Ethiopian Christianity. In any case, their origin is ancient and probably dates back to at least the early 14th century.
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