| Total population | |
|---|---|
| c. 400 (est.) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| 200 in Ghana [1] | |
| Languages | |
| Sefwi, French, English | |
| Religion | |
| Judaism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Sefwi |
The House of Israel is a Jewish community located in southwestern Ghana, in the towns of Sefwi Wiawso and Sefwi Sui. This group of people, mostly of the Sefwi tribe, built a synagogue in 1998. Many of the men and children read English, but no one knows Hebrew. [2] [3] The House of Israel claims to have roots in the Ten Lost Tribes of ancient Israel. [4]
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The people of Sefwi Wiawso, who claim to have roots in the Ten Lost Tribes of ancient Israel, trace a call for a "return" to normative Judaism by Aaron Ahomtre Toakyirafa, a community leader who, in 1976, is said to have had a vision. [4] In 2012, Gabrielle Zilkha, a Toronto-based filmmaker, visited Sefwe Wiawso to do research for a documentary about the House of Israel she is making. According to Zilkha, about 200 people—mostly children—live in the community. She states that the lack of a historical record makes it difficult to verify the group's claims, but that there is an oral tradition dating back 200 years. [1]
In the 1990s, the House of Israel began to reach out to the wider Jewish world. The community worked with Jewish organizations such as Kulanu and Be'chol Lashon. [5] A smaller community of Jews from the House of Israel lives in Sefwi Sui, a small farming community located twenty miles from Sefwi Wiawso. [6] In the two communities, many of the men and children read English, but no one knows Hebrew. [2] [3]
The leader of the House of Israel since 1993, David Ahenkorah claims to have received his own vision in taking up the mantle. [7] He has been granted a 40-acre plot of land to build a Jewish school for the community, but they have not yet been able to raise funds for construction. Children currently attend a local school run by Christians.
The community built a synagogue in 1998 in New Adiembra, a Jewish neighborhood in Sefwi Wiawso. Recently, they painted it blue and white, colors commonly associated with Judaism. [7] There are several family compounds nearby and about 200 people belong to the synagogue. [7] It is a single-room synagogue with a miniature Sefer Torah. There is no mechitza. [8] [9]
