The African Jewish Community That Was Told It Didn’t Exist | Unpacked

In Zimbabwe and South Africa, the Lemba have kept Jewish traditions for centuries—observing Shabbat, keeping kosher, and preserving an unbroken lineage. Yet their isolation from the wider Jewish world has left their identity in question. Now, DNA and oral tradition confirm their ancient roots, but recognition remains elusive. Their story challenges what it truly means to belong—and who gets to decide. Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:53 Jewish laws and cultural practices of the Lemba 03:56 Apartheid and isolation from Jewish world 06:03 Identity politics and Jewish genetics 09:19 Forgotten Jewish practices 10:23 Acceptance into the broader Jewish world 11:31 Conversion politics and empathy Sources: -Did You Know There are Jews in Zimbabwe? YouTube. Uploaded by i24NEWS English. 22 February 2023. -Interview with Jacob Thobakgale. -Interview with Phumudzo Munonde. -Interview with Tudor Parfitt. -Jewish Genetics and the Lemba Tribe of Africa. YouTube. Uploaded by Henry Abramson. 29 January 2023. -Parfitt, Tudor. Journey to the Vanished City: The Search for the Lost Tribe of Israel. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2000. -Thomas, Mark G., et al. Y Chromosomes Traveling South: The Cohen Modal Haplotype and the Origins of the Lemba—the “Black Jews of Southern Africa". American Journal of Human -Genetics, vol. 66,2 (2000): 674-86. doi:10.1086/302749 -Vickers, Steve. Lost Jewish tribe 'found in Zimbabwe'. BBC News. 8 March 2010. Subscribe and turn on your notifications so you don’t miss future uploads! https://www.youtube.com/UNPACKED?sub_confirmation=1 Recommended video—Is This Tribe in India Secretly Jewish? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cUJNKrjF3g&list=PL-DNOnmKkUabBNl0Aee06VGSKbeJkrI6F&index=15 We have merch! – http://shop.jewishunpacked.com/?utm_medium=youtube&utm_source=video-description&utm_campaign=merch Let’s connect: Website — https://www.jewishunpacked.com Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/jewishunpacked Twitter — https://twitter.com/jewishunpacked TikTok — https://www.tiktok.com/@jewishunpacked Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/jewishunpacked ----------- Image and footage credits: David Rumsey Map Collection, David Rumsey Map Center, Stanford Libraries © IWM COI 634 RUTV Journalism Rhodes University Israeli GPO, Yaakov Saar Elen Nivrae Sam Litvin ----------- Executive Producer: — Barry Skolnick Co-Executive Producer: — Shmuel Katz ----------- Translation credits: Portuguese: Saymon Pires About Explainers: From ancient Jewish traditions to the modern State of Israel, we explain it all. Diving into anything and everything related to Jewish culture, history, and even religion. Understand Jewish holidays, Israeli politics, Jewish diasporic communities, and more. Learn about Judaism in pop culture, debunking myths about Jews, and explore obscure Israeli landmarks. We’re asking questions as basic as “What is the Talmud?”, and as obscure as “How did hip-hop boost Kosher wine sales?”, and everything in between. About Unpacked: We provide nuanced insights by unpacking all things Jewish. People are complex and complicated — yet we’re constantly being pushed to oversimplify our world. At Unpacked we know that being complex makes us more interesting. Because of this, we break the world down with nuance and insight to drive your curiosity and challenge your thinking. #africa #people #story