Book Review: Inside the Jews of Nigeria

I must say that reading William F.S. Miles book, Jews of Nigeria: An Afro-Judaic Odyssey, published by Markus Wiener Publishers in 2012, was an engaging experience. It felt like I was sitting with a wonderful storyteller, full of humor but yet paying excellent attention to details.

The book, covered in brown and with the face of a young boy putting on a tefillin, ushered me into a world filled with warmth, quests, and cultural intrigue. It felt like I was stepping into a vibrant room that was pulsating with ancient traditions, modern findings, and a deep yearning for discovery, all intertwined in very captivating way.

The book explores the unique phenomenon of rabbinical Judaism’s emergence in Nigeria, particularly among Igbo people, and is a valuable addition to studies on African Judaism and intercultural religious dynamics.

What grabbed me was Miles’s ability to convey the raw passion and spiritual hunger of these Igbo communities he encountered, whom he affectionately termed ‘Jubos’ journeying into rabbinic Judaism. The term “Jubos,” an acronym derived by combining the “Jewish” and “Igbo,” or rather “Judaism” and ” the Igbos,” was employed consistently
throughout the book. Similarly, in this review, I will employ the same terminology to align with the author.

He tells about the Jubos adopting a religion where Igbo traditions intersect with rabbinical Judaism. It feels like they’re reconnecting with ingrained ancestral echoes that intimately resonate with their souls. Miles captured the scene beautifully with his firsthand account of heartfelt Hanukkah celebrations and a touching bar mitzvah he attended in Abuja. One could sense their sincerity and longing to live Jewishly in Nigeria’s diverse religious landscape, where Islam and Christianity have strong presences. It speaks volumes about faith being a remarkably personal journey.

The author touchingly conveyed the devotion of the Jubos. I loved the story he told about a heartfelt Sabbath dinner where challah tastes sweeter when shared with a genuine community. The Jubos’ journey into Judaism is not an isolated phenomenon. It is a testament to the fluid and seeking nature of spiritual identity. And Williams Miles captured this quest with a warmth that feels like sitting with an old friend sharing cherished stories.

Miles captured the deep passion the Jubos exhibited in their spiritual journey and their desire to connect or reconnect with
what they view as ancient Hebrew roots. I must say that the cultural parallels they highlighted between certain Igbo
traditions and Jewish customs felt like finding unexpected harmonies in a musical composition. That, I couldn’t help but wonder, is the possibility of ancient linkages and the shared human narratives vibrating subtly across continents.

However, the author stressed that, according to his research on the Judaization of contemporary Igbos, theology trumps
genealogy. This implies that the Igbo Jews did not first and foremost perceive themselves as a lost tribe of ancient Israel,
leading them to learn and practice rabbinical Judaism. Instead, they embraced rabbinical Judaism as part of their quest for
spiritual truth, and only then did they recognize similarities between Igbo traditions and Jewish practices. His candid
expression of the idea was a brilliant observation that I had never considered before.

Undeniably, Miles’ notion of them being “the world’s first Internet Jews” strikes me as both apt and touching. Their innovation and adaptability in faith expression, as well as their resourcefulness in navigating digital spaces to learn and practice Judaism in Nigeria, where traditional infrastructure is very limited, are clear for all to see. He gave one such example as the Jubos conducting prayers with a photocopied siddur, a digital Torah. I agree with his stance on this; I know one of the first people to learn to read and pray in Hebrew, Eben Cohen. Cohen reportedly used the internet to master reading and praying in Hebrew, a skill he eventually passed to many others, who in turn taught others.

The author highlighted the struggle of these Nigerian communities who are fervently pursuing Judaism in a country
that is dominated by Islam and Christianity. In Nigeria, it is estimated that between 6,000 and 10,000 Igbo people have
adopted mainstream Judaism, yet the number feels like a pebble at the beachfront compared to the overall population of
the country. Issues such as assimilation, internal discord, and recognition struggles from both Nigeria and Israel confront these Jewish communities. He asserts that rabbinic authorities in Israel do not recognize the Igbo Jewish community (Jubos), thereby undermining their legitimacy and acceptance within the global Jewish community. He cited an example whereby a Jubos can only travel to Israel on pilgrimage if he passes as a Christian tourist because he is not recognized by the Nigerian and Israeli governments as a Jew. Furthermore, there are no subsidies from the Nigerian government available to Jewish pilgrim seekers because Judaism is not a religion recognized by the Nigerian Government.

Miles also noted an Israeli embassy official in Abuja who suggested hesitation about recognizing the Jubos. I was saddened by his submission. He feared potential mass conversions and immigration claims due to the economic crisis in the country.

The book also highlighted the challenge of not having an indigenous resident rabbi. It is a real issue that lingers, 13 years after the publication date of the book ‘Jews of Nigeria’ in 2012. There is, as yet, no resident Jewish rabbi in the entirety of West Africa.

As Miles noted in his book, “The geographic calculations become dizzying, the conclusion identical: when you’re a Jew
in Nigeria, and you need a rabbi, you’ve got a long way to go.
“He stirred contemplation on the very meaning of Jewishness, personal identity, and belonging that left me reflective. He
gave a firsthand account of his experience with the Jubos in their home and synagogues, which he described as “a
profoundly moving experience.”

Reading Miles’ account of his first encounter with the Jubos filled me with pride as a Jubo. He spoke about
how it affected his spiritual life. “The Jubos make me feel ashamed as a Jew; sometimes, this feeling even
motivates me to go to shul.” They live more Jewishly than most Jews do in America. References to the
Torah and Jewish ethics are sprinkled in routine conversations.”

He raised questions about Jewish identity at large and the Jubos’ legitimacy. “But are they really Jews? Who, after all, is a Jew?” I was moved by his submission in the case of the Jubos. He artfully balanced scholarly insight with stories of his
personal encounter with the Jubos.”

Orthopraxy, I submit in this case, ought to trump orthodoxy. In other words, the fact that the individuals you will encounter in this book live as Jews—practicing, worshiping, studying, gathering, and, yes, disputing as such—is infinitely more important than whether or not they descend from some long-lost tribe of Israel. “They are vastly more Jewish than Western Europeans or North Americans, whose DNA may bear traces of Jewish ancestry but whose lived experience, individual sense of identity, religious practice, and group identification are anything but.”

I was reminded of the book Black Zion while reading Miles’ Jews of Nigeria. Miles’ unique insight into the spiritual journey of the Jubos underscores the universal themes of identity and spiritual belonging, adding a fresh perspective to the global Jewish mosaic.

However, I observed that the book focused almost exclusively on the Igbo communities (Jubos), whereas judging from the title (Jews of Nigeria), a reader will be quick to assume that only the Igbo tribes represent the Jewish demographics composition in the country. Secondly, the event described in the book take place largely in Abuja, the northern part of the country, and most of the interviews conducted are from guests who attended a bar mitzvah in the capital. These observations prompted me to consider other communities beyond the author’s personal experience, particularly the non-Igbo tribes not included in the book. The Igbo communities are not the only Jewish people in Nigeria. In the southernmost part of the country, Akwa Ibom and Rivers State have thriving Jewish communities. This narrowing of focus raises questions about the book’s ability to fully represent the nationwide diversity required to justify the book title.

Nonetheless, Miles’ storytelling skills captivated me. I couldn’t lift my eyes off the book and couldn’t help but crave more. I would truly adore seeing Miles expand on this narrative in a future edition by weaving broader interactions with Nigeria’s diverse Jewish communities. Definitely, he should create a more inclusive term instead of “Jubos, ” unless he plans to rename the book “The Igbo Jews of Nigeria. ” I’m hopeful for continued explorations. It would make for a wonderful read.

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