250 Africans Convert to Judaism

Group Joins Growing Community of Black African Jews

San Francisco - (July 16, 2008) - Over 250 people from Uganda, Kenya, and South Africa, Ghana, and Nigeria formally converted to Judaism in a ceremony held last week in the village of Nabogoye near Mbale, Uganda. ....more

Historic Day for Black African Jews

First Ever Gathering of African Jewish Communities

San Francisco - (July 10, 2008) - The Pan-African Jewish Alliance (PAJA) is holding its first multi-national meeting on July 11, 2008 with participants from Jewish communities in Uganda, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, and the United States. The representatives from African Jewish communities are gathering in Uganda to celebrate with Rabbi Gershom Sizomu on the occasion of his installation as community rabbi by Conservative rabbis from the United States. ....more

New Media Award in Jewish Diversity

NPR Commentator and Duluth News Tribune Editorial Page Editor Robin Washington is First Recipient

San Francisco - (May 28, 2008) - Robin Washington, the editorial page editor of Minnesota's Duluth News Tribune and a television producer and National Public Radio commentator, is the first recipient of the Be'chol Lashon Media Award established to honor excellence in coverage of the ethnic and racial diversity of world Jewry. The purpose is to give recognition to journalists and others covering the wide diversity of Jewish ethnicity. ....more

Rabbi From Uganda Ordained – First Ever in the United States

Be’chol Lashon and The Institute for Jewish & Community Research, MMD Newswire, May 14, 2008

San Francisco, CA (May 14, 2008) – On May 19th, Gershom Sizomu will become the first black rabbi from sub-Saharan Africa to be ordained from an American rabbinic school. He will return home to rural Uganda in June 2008 to lead his Jewish community called the Abayudaya ("people of Judah") and to open a school to train rabbis to serve growing Jewish communities throughout Africa. ....more

Black, Latino, and Asian Jews From Around the Globe Meet in San Francisco

San Francisco, CA (May 1, 2008) – Racially and ethnically diverse Jewish leaders from all over the Jewish world are meeting from May 2-5 in San Francisco. The gathering is sponsored by Be’chol Lashon, which in Hebrew means, "In Every Tongue." This year’s participants will focus on issues about conversion to Judaism. Countries represented include Spain, Portugal, France, Brazil, Uganda, and South Africa, among others. ....more