The recent announcement that the International Society for the Study of African Jewry (ISSAJ) will no longer hold its 2025 conference at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda’s capital, has stirred a range of emotions within the African Jewish community due to the decision to relocate the event outside the continent. This much-anticipated conference, which had been scheduled for October 28–30, was expected to mark yet another defining moment in the history of African Jewry— a moment when the continent itself host scholars, rabbis, and thinkers from around the world to discuss Africa’s Jewish story on its soil.
Since its founding in 2010, ISSAJ has grown into a leading academic platform dedicated to exploring and documenting the lives of Jews in Africa and the African diaspora. It brings together intellectuals, students, and advocates from across Africa, Europe, Israel, and the Americas to explore the rich and diverse expressions of Judaism in Africa. One of its goals is to make Jewish life in Sub-Saharan Africa, from Uganda to Nigeria, Zimbabwe to Ghana, and South Africa to Cameroon, more visible in both academic and community settings. Over the years, ISSAJ’s work has helped dispel misconception regarding African Jews, encouraged people from all over the world to work together, and made sure that Africa’s Jewish narratives are documented and preserved. Through research, conferences, and international collaboration, it has played a pivotal role in connecting African Jewish communities to the broader Jewish world.
The Kampala conference was expected to be a major milestone: the first of its kind in the pearl of Africa. Especially in a country that holds a unique place in modern African Jewish history. Communities, notably in Eastern Mbale, are some of the fastest-growing Jewish communities on the continent. They combine a strong dedication to Judaism with a lively African culture. The conference in Uganda was meant to celebrate this growing visibility and to open dialogue on how African Jews are shaping their future within the global Jewish family. However, the recent update from the ISSAJ website confirmed that the event will now be relocated to Paris, France, following concerns raised about security conditions in Kampala. While the reasons may be understandable, the decision has left many Jews in the region feeling disappointed.
“It is disappointing that the conference won’t be happening in Uganda anymore,” said Sarah Nakintu, vice president of the Sub-Saharan African Jewish Alliance (SAJA) and founder of the Shalom Women Development Network (SWODN). “We were looking forward to welcoming the world to see who we are, our history, and how far African Jewry has come. I’m not sure many of us will be privileged to make it to France for the conference.”
The theme of the 2025 ISSAJ Conference had centered on the future of African Jewry. It seeks to explore cultural preservation, modern identity, and global inclusion. If it had been held in Uganda, African participants would have been able to meet visiting researchers in person, form collaborations, and share experiences that could help their communities. Many saw it as an opportunity to correct long-standing misconceptions and demonstrate the growing significance of Africa in global Jewry.
Judaism in Sub-Saharan Africa has been steadily growing in both numbers and confidence across the continent. New communities have emerged in Cote d’Ivoire, Angola, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe. Despite significant odds, many have established synagogues, yeshivot, and Hebrew schools. People in areas like Ghana and Kenya are reconnecting with old family traditions that link them to Judaism, while others are choosing to follow Jewish practices as a genuine spiritual path. In fact, moving across all regions of the continent, one will certainly find an enclave with observant Jews at a corner, and the average population is growing by the year.
Yet for all this growth and all that has been unfolding, the African Jewish experience remains under-documented and under-studied. That is the gap ISSAJ continues to fill. Through its conferences, publications, and research collaborations, the organization is helping scholars and community members alike build a clearer, evidence-based understanding of African Jewish life. Through its tremendous effort all these years, it has continued to create a bridge between the academic world and the lives of African Jews.
A conference in Kampala would have no doubt been a showcase of Africa’s Jewish vitality— and a proud statement that the study of African Jewry belongs not only in books and conferences abroad, but within Africa itself. Still, even as the event moves to Paris, African Jews remain hopeful that their voices will continue to be represented in the global discussion. Some opinions have been made, and there is also growing conversation about establishing more future African-led academic and cultural forums that continue the mission ISSAJ embodies— even within Africa.
While the move to Paris has been justified as a matter of safety and logistics, the emotional and symbolic loss for African Jewry is deeply felt. But ultimately, even though the venue may have changed, the mission remains: to study, record, and celebrate the Jewish lifestyles in Africa and by Africans. In the words of one East African Jewish leader who had hoped to attend the conference, “Whether in Kampala or Paris, the story of African Jewry must continue to be told— not as a footnote, but as a vital chapter in the living history of the Jewish people.”