The Igbo Teshuva Movement
The overwhelming majority of the Igbo people are extremely proud of their Jewish identity. Although the Igbo Jews have lost and forgotten so many things, including their history, they never completely forgot that they are benei Yisrael (Children of Israel). Today, despite the ravages of modern history which the Igbos suffered, they still cling tightly to that identity – because it is all that they have left. Some discerning individuals have said that “if the Igbos had forgotten that they came from Israel, then they would have died off as a people.” However, though we can say that the Igbos remembered their Israelite heritage, we cannot say that the contemporary Igbo was able to guard that knowledge well.
In fact, the knowledge of the Igbo-Israel heritage was on the wane. Everything in life, including knowledge, must be periodically refreshed – and for something like the one very foundations of one’s culture, it must be transferred to the next generation. However, under the occupation of colonizing forces, Igbos were told that the Igbo identity was not important; that the Igbo history, traditions, customs, and institutions which gave the Igbos their identity are inferior and pagan. As a direct result of this attack on Igbo-Israel culture, the Igbos stopped safeguarding their heritage. Igbos began to struggle to learn about the colonialists’ culture, to support the colonialists’ culture (which they began to think was their own) and to protect that culture from attack.
Of course, this was an exercise in futility; the Igbo society collapsed as a consequence of this assimilation. Many Igbo noticed that the Igbo society had collapsed but did not know why. We say that the cause of the collapse is the waning of the Igbos’ identity; and when we began to make Igbos take their identity as Israelites seriously once more, Igbos everywhere show their appreciation. In Nigeria – a nation where knowledge of English is common and yet it is rare for a Nigerian to own or read many books in his or her lifetime – our books on the Igbo-Israel culture are a hot seller.
With an increasingly acute awareness of their identity as benei Yisrael, the Igbo have started to return to their culture, Omenana - which among Jews is commonly known as the Tora (teaching). We cannot truthfully say that the Igbos remember everything about Omenana. Almost none of the birth, marriage, and death rituals are presently observed 100% correctly. For example, some Igbos have started to celebrate when their loved ones die, discarding their traditional mourning clothes and putting on expensive white lace instead (in imitation of a neighboring people).
However, with the re-awakened awareness that they are benei Yisrael, many Igbos have started to re-examine how modern Jews behave, in order to learn more about Israelite identity. After (re-)discovering how modern Jews live – which is close to how ancient Igbos lived – countless Igbos have reverted to Israelite behavior, which in their estimation is the apt way for an Igbo to behave. It cannot be imagined that the same Igbos who have begun to study Igbo/Jewish history and culture would then abstain from nzuko umunna (kindred meetings), or would celebrate the death of loved ones instead of properly mourning them, or would indulge in a pagan practice like embalmment or preservation of the dead through refrigeration, or would fail to honor their parents properly, etc.
The growing numbers of Igbos whose awareness of their Jewish identity has blossomed over the recent years have started to set up traditional Jewish institutions, so that they may have places of study to learn about the history and culture of Israel, and places of meeting where they may practice some of what they learn.
