Abayudaya New Synagogue Nabugoye is located in Mbale town, 224 kilometers east of Kampala, Uganda, in a small settlement called Nabugoye.
With eye-catching gardens in its front yard, the Abayudaya New Synagogue Nabugoye is located 224km east of Kampala, Uganda, near Mbale.
The structure, which measures 20’ by 50’, is the biggest and best-kept of all the synagogues in Uganda. It has a plain wood roof framing exposed on the inside. There is an unpainted concrete floor, plaster walls that are painted white with a blue foundation, and an unpainted plaster ceiling.
The Abayudayan synagogue has ten wood-framed arched windows with security bars. Above the windows are rectangular panels constructed of perforated brick vents and one pair of painted wood doors.
During service, the men and women sit separately in many tubular aluminum and plaster chairs that fill the room.
It works as an East African headquarters for The Abayudaaya community, a local dialect for the “Jews,” in Uganda. They are the smallest portion of Ugandans that practice Judaism.
They call themselves Jews because Jews and Judaism go hand in hand. They also believe that they belong to the tribe of Judah.
For the Abayudaya, the Nabugoye Synagogue is open on Saturday only. It’s a day marked as Sabbath (Sabato).
On this day, believers are supposed to be at the synagogue for prayers.
Usually, the atmosphere in this place is calm and clear. When there, you may hear the voices of people singing. This Abayudaya Community Choir compiled an album entitled Abayudaya.
They were also nominated in 2005 for a Grammy for Best Traditional World Music Album.
The first Abayudaya Rabbi & Their Culture
Wambedde, a former Member of Parliament for Bungokho North County in Mbale, is the first and only Abayudaya rabbi in sub-Saharan Africa.
He finished his four-year program in rabbinic studies at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies in Los Angeles, California. When he returned in 2009, Wambedde was ordained.
The Abayudaya community provides free medical care at its Tobin Health Centre in Mbale. They also provide free education for children from underprivileged households.
While doing this, they don’t consider one’s religion because it’s not mandatory for them. They only help and teach whoever is interested.
Additionally, they don’t preach outside their community. Their tradition is against it.
The Abayudaya observe the Sabbath, observe New Year’s Day in September (exact dates vary), They also celebrate Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), the holiest day for Jews, in place of Christmas.
More than a century ago, Semei Kakungulu, an army general in the Buganda Kingdom formed the Abayudaya community.
Gen. Kakungulu created his religious cult in 1919 with doctrines exclusively based on the Book of Malachi after renunciating Christianity following a dispute with his British colonialists.
This may help to explain why the Abayudaya community has expanded slowly since its founding more than a century ago. There are only between 2,000 and 3,000 believers in Uganda.
A religion for only a select few
Despite being the mother religion of Islam and Christianity, Judaism is not a popular religion among many people. Because they were founded on missionary work to convert people, Christianity and Islam both saw growth in numbers.
Judaism is not preached; people discover it and choose whether or not to join. Only eight church locations serve the Abayudaya group, including the one in the Bunga neighborhood of Kampala. It has roughly 60 members.
There are two synagogues in Namutumba, two in Kibuku, one in Mukono, one in Pallisa, and one in Apac. With 300 worshipers, Nabugoye continues to be the most populated.
Judaism in other countries
There is a worship center in Ol Kalou, Nyandarua County, Kenya, as well as one in Tanzania and Madagascar.
Nigeria has 60 synagogues, however, it is unclear how many people are Jewish. Because none of the other Jewish communities in Africa have an appointed rabbi, they are not recognized by Israel.
Tourist Attractions within the Nabugoye Synagogue area
Hadassah Primary School
In Uganda, there’s at least only one school offering Jewish education. This is Hadassah Primary School. It started with 20 children attending. Today there are 417 students and 22 teachers.
The students and teachers are Christians, Muslims, and Jews. The three religions study, work and coexist at Hadassah Primary School. Their main goal is to teach and learn from each other more than anything else.
Nyero Rock Paintings
About 60 kilometers north of Mbale town is the Nyero rock paintings. One of the best examples of rock art in the area and all of Uganda is found at Nyero.
Sipi Falls
Northeast of Sironko and Mbale, are the Sipi Falls. They are a group of three waterfalls. Similarly, close to the Kenyan border, the waterfalls are located on the edge of Mount Elgon National Park.
Numerous walks up Mount Elgon begin in the vicinity of Sipi Falls. The most popular path begins from Budadiri and ascends the Sasa trail to the summit before descending the Sipi trail and returning to the Sipi Falls.
The Karamoja plains, Lake Kyoga, and the Mt. Elgon slopes may all be seen from the trails that run around the falls.
Bird watching areas
More than 1000 distinct bird species may be found in Uganda, and the areas near Mbale are excellent for bird watching. You can visit numerous woodland areas and marshes where there are lots of birds.
The Imbalu ceremonies
Boys are initiated into manhood through the renowned Imbalu (male circumcision) rite, which is performed by members of the Bagisu ethnic group.
The custom makes the Elgon region joyous; music blares, the dance is captivating, and food is in abundance. Typically, the opening ceremony takes place in August of each even-numbered year.
Conclusion
The tourist attractions in Mbale once appeared to be operating without direction for a long time, but this swiftly changed. Today, it has some of the most popular travel destinations.
You can now visit the Abayudaya New Synagogue Nabugoye as a tourist attraction and learn about its history.
For a better experience, it’s best to combine it with visits to Imbalu ceremonies, bird-watching areas, Sipi Falls, and the famous Hadassah Primary School.
