As many Nigerians, particularly those of the Igbo ethnic group, continue to return to Judaism from both Christianity and Messianic circles, Nigerian Judaism is currently confronted with a new two-fold challenge, that of having a mass of returnees whose lives are built on anti-Torah beliefs and practices mixing up without first being purged. The potential to raise a mass of proclaimed Jews whose understanding of Judaism contradicts Torah, Mishnah, and Gemara is a significant problem that must be taken seriously. Returnees have the task of understanding what Judaism is all about, understanding and reading Hebrew as Judaism’s official language, and understanding the structure of prayer in Judaism. When these challenges are considered, it is clear that a significant inventive strategy is required, including the establishment of a mechanism to assist returnees in purging themselves of the minim (avodah zarah) they used to believe and practice.
As a Jewish community, Gihon Hebrew Synagogue has taken the lead in ensuring that this mass of returnees, including men, women, teenagers, and children, are adequately directed toward knowing what Judaism is all about. Because these returnees are considered babies in Judaism, Gihon has established a Hebrew and Judaism class (which was merged into their already thriving children class) to guarantee they are cared for as babies in their Judaism practice. Many returnees have admitted that it is difficult to understand the language of Hebrew, which is the official language of Judaism, as well as the pattern of prayer, which is vastly different from what is available in Christianity and messianic, from which the most of them are coming. As a result, it is critical that a system be put in place to address this difficulty. Again, these returnees appear to be doing everything wrong when it comes to Torah and Halachot, the foundations of Judaism. MORE