| Total population | |
|---|---|
| c. 400 (est.) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| 200 inGhana[1] | |
| Languages | |
| Sefwi,French,English | |
| Religion | |
| Judaism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Sefwi |
TheHouse of Israel is a Jewish community located in southwesternGhana, in the towns ofSefwi Wiawso andSefwi Sui. This group of people, mostly of the Sefwi tribe, built asynagogue in 1998. Many of the men and children readEnglish, but no one knowsHebrew.[2][3] The House of Israel claims to have roots in theTen Lost Tribes of ancient Israel.[4]
The people of Sefwi Wiawso, who claim to have roots in theTen 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 avision.[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 asKulanu 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 readEnglish, but no one knowsHebrew.[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 byChristians.
The community built a synagogue in 1998 in New Adiembra, a Jewish neighborhood inSefwi 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 miniatureSefer Torah. There is nomechitza.[8][9]
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