Where Young Jew Grow: Inside Nigeria’s Flourishing Torah Academy.
[Building strong Jewish foundations through dedicated learning, tradition, and community]
The absence of a standard Jewish school, which would facilitate a comprehensive education rooted in Jewish values, has been felt for decades by the Nigerian Jewish communities. Many Jewish children attend secular schools where they face assimilation, segregation, and other challenges arising from their beliefs. As Judaism continues to thrive in Nigeria, with estimates of practicing Jews ranging between 6,000 and 10,000 and over 100 synagogues across 10 states and four regions, the need for children to attain standard Jewish education has only intensified.
Gihon Eden Academy, founded by Shlomo Yaakov, came just in time to bridge the gap and ensure access to Jewish education in Nigeria. The Eden Academy, currently in its pilot phase, is on track to be one of the first Jewish schools in the country, built upon years of Torah teaching. It is projected that by 2035, it will have grown into an accredited educational institution serving both primary and secondary school children.
According to its roadmap, the school will provide comprehensive Jewish education with a curriculum that combines secular subjects like math, science, history, and literature and covers all the basic education requirements. Compared to other existing Jewish-owned schools, this one focuses on teaching Jewish studies, such as the Torah, Talmud, and Hebrew language, aiming to provide students with a strong foundation in Jewish heritage, traditions, and values, while also preparing them for academic success and personal growth.
Gihon Eden Academy, co-tutored by Immanuel Ben Immanuel and Fidelia Agoha, began as a Hebrew class aimed at children and new members of the Gihon Hebrew Synagogue in Abuja, particularly those transitioning back to Judaism from Christianity. People warmly welcomed the classes as a laudable initiative that promoted effortless Hebrew language learning. It has since transformed from merely a Hebrew class, as the curriculum has broadened to encompass additional Jewish studies. The academy offers a beginner’s syllabus aimed at familiarizing students with the fundamental beliefs, practices, and traditions of the Jewish faith. Assisting students in cultivating a deeper understanding and respect for the Jewish community.
The syllabus covers a range of topics, which includes an introduction to Judaism, comprising topics like what is Judaism, its core beliefs, and its historical context. Another topic in the curriculum is the study of Jewish Scriptures like the Torah, Tanakh, and Rabbinic literature. The curriculum then discusses the study of key Jewish holidays, such as the High Holidays, Shabbat, Pesach, and other major and minor festivals. Going deeper, the curriculum covers Jewish practices like prayer, Jewish halachot, and life cycle events. It also has Jewish Life and Identity, which includes culture, tradition, and values. The curriculum also expanded to include the Holocaust, helping children understand the history and significance of the Holocaust, which is one of the most significant events in the history of Jews.
Just as it is widely accepted that life comprises both old and new, the academy’s curriculum includes a course on the study of modern Judaism. In this course, students learn about the various movements within Judaism, its diverse expressions, and the different sects making up global Judaism’s composition. In addition, the course outline has lessons on the Jewish calendar, conversion, and the State of Israel. Generally, the syllabus is designed to inspire and educate both beginners and practicing Jews looking to deepen their knowledge in their practice of Judaism.
Before Gihon Eden Academy came into existence, learning the Hebrew language as well as other Jewish studies used to be very challenging due to limited guidance and availability of organized resources that would enhance and facilitate a seamless Jewish learning experience. Jewish learning was only attainable through individual effort. In fact, only the majority of people who were called up to pray, known as chazans, led the prayers and mastered how to read Ivrit. Many others who did not have siddurim found it difficult to keep up with the pace of the learning or continued practice to become perfect.
Shlomo Yaakov, who was born into Judaism, experienced firsthand the early struggles and complexities of practicing Judaism in a country where Judaism is not recognized; he struggled to obtain Jewish education as a child. However, sometime around 2015, he had the opportunity to study under Rabbi Gershom Sizomu, the Chief Rabbi of the Abayudaya community in Uganda. This experience of learning directly under a rabbi for the first time was significant, especially since there was no rabbi in his home country of Nigeria. No doubt, the experience was a turning point for him, and therefore the Gihon Academy was founded to change the narrative and make Jewish learning accessible to his community and others.
The model of the academy operates as both a physical and online class, making it possible for interested students from anywhere in Nigeria to obtain quality Jewish education. The online classes are usually accessible via WhatsApp and scheduled Zoom meetings with recorded classes that are available upon request. Its WhatsApp community is made up of different WhatsApp lecture groups tailored to the needs of students at all levels. Students who enrolled in the online classes are provided with mentorship programs, including counselling and seminars that are designed to ensure that students understand what they are taught and learn to apply it in their daily lives.
The offline and online models provide children with the opportunity to learn both at the synagogue and from their homes or while on the go. At the initial stage, the Gihon Hebrew Synagogue usually hosts these classes every Sunday morning after Shacharit prayers. Some of the students, including mothers who reside far away, would sleep over in the synagogue guest room to attend morning classes before returning home to their families. Additionally, classes are held on one day during the week; however, due to the recent increase in transportation expenses following the government’s removal of petroleum subsidies, online technology has to be leveraged.
Today, students who are members of the WhatsApp community have the opportunity to interact with their teachers through voice chat and text. This setup offers flexibility, helping them to ask questions on issues ranging from lectures to real-life experiences. It also helps them get answers to their questions in real time, giving other students the ability to contribute to questions asked and learn from others’ experiences. At the conclusion of each week of online lessons, students meet in the synagogue on Shabbat during the break period to engage in one-on-one discussions with their teachers, enhancing both their online and in-person learning experiences.
Currently, there are 60 students enrolled in the Gihon Eden Academy. The synagogue’s physical classes have 40 students, while 20 from other parts of Abuja are in the virtual program. Since its inception, about six sets of students have successfully graduated, and most of them celebrated their Bar and Bat Mitzvahs as students.
Peniel Immanuel is one of the most recent; he celebrated his bar mitzvah on November the 6th in the synagogue. He also emerged as the overall top winner during a quiz competition. A public event held during Simchat Torah turned into a competitive three-way race at the final rounds, ultimately earning him a school-term scholarship from several sponsors. One would often wonder the reason the students of the Gihon Eden Academy perform exceptionally well in Jewish educational competitions and quizzes in the country. The answer lies in their strong foundation in Jewish education and the incorporation of entertaining methods into the learning process.
As far back as 2019, during the inaugural National Jewish Youth seminar, held in the eastern part of the country, the Gihon children in attendance wowed the gathering with their group performance. And in a recent outing, during the 2025 Camp Sarah program held in Abuja, Nigeria, the young stars took center stage again. Participants during a quiz competition included children from the host synagogue at Tikvat Synagogue and children from synagogues across the country in attendance. Once again, the children from Gihon Eden Academy excelled due to their deep understanding of Jewish education and readiness, which they attribute to their unique curriculum and class-learning style.
To support the academy’s internet connectivity, it received a donation of an MTN 4G router for internet connectivity from the Avraham Ben Avraham Foundation (ABAF). The internet helps to get the synagogue WIFI-connected, making it possible for members with a smartphone to connect to the internet. It has also helped to power laptops that tutors use to teach students during live sessions in weekday classes. The ABA Foundation recently replaced a smaller and worn-out whiteboard in the shul that had been in use for over a decade. It has been a very useful addition for both the synagogue and for teaching and learning purposes. Instructors can write short lectures or a Torah quiz on the board before Shabbat, and students will learn or discuss it during Shabbat classes since writing on Shabbat is not allowed.
In addition, the ABAF provides data bundles periodically to support Zoom learning in the academy. However, apart from home support coming from the synagogue management, the academy has also attracted the interest of Elder Yatov Ben Israel. After his return from South Africa, where he went for an important meeting with the Maccabi South African Union, he visited the Gihon Hebrew Synagogue before the end of November. There, he donated several books on behalf of the IPJD (Initiative for Progressive Judaism Development), which were handed over to Shlomo to enrich the library of the Gihon Eden Academy. Yatov, although a member of another synagogue in Abuja, is a longtime friend of Gihon and supports them as a sister synagogue.
Support of this nature continues to help position the academy as a Torah-learning hub, not just for younger children but also for those returning to Judaism and others interested in learning Jewish halachot and the Hebrew language. Think of a Torah-learning hub as a digital version of a rabbi, a substitute at this point, bridging the gap of a rabbi’s absence in the country, ready to teach, motivate, uplift and build the community in the ways of the Torah. The beginners’ classes of the academy are suitable for new returnees who often struggle to adapt in their early stages due to their former Christian-related practices, which they have known since childhood.
Feedback from several students highlights the impact of months of dedicated learning. Sarah, 13, shared, “I am thrilled to be part of this academy, which has helped me learn how to live as an observant Jew and made me proud to tell my friends in school about Judaism.” Kayim noted that the lessons have deepened his understanding of what it means to be a Jew while also improving his Hebrew reading skills. Yehuda, one of the returnees, said the classes have greatly helped his children grow in their knowledge of Judaism. In his words: “Since my children started taking classes with Gihon Eden Academy, they have learned a lot. And one significant thing is that the classes are free. I am glad they are part of it, and I commend the tutors for their sacrifices.”
Currently, the academy relies entirely on donations to sustain its mission of providing Torah-based education throughout each term. Through the dedicated efforts of its management and tutors—who serve not on payroll but as committed volunteers—the academy functions typically like a formal school. It includes all essential academic components: quizzes, assignments, presentations, projects, and examinations that assess each student’s progress and promote them to higher classes.
In traditional Jewish education, children are gradually introduced to core literature like the Mishnah, the Talmud, and subsequently the Shulchan Aruch, building a foundation for lifelong learning and observant Jewish living. But this important foundation has often been missing in Nigeria, where there has long been a lack of indigenous rabbis and structured Torah schools. Gihon Eden Academy is specifically addressing this exact need. The academy is planting the seeds for a future generation of African Jews who may one day become scholars, teachers, and rabbis, who would strengthen and shape the future of the country’s Jewry for decades to come.
About The Author
