| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Maseru[1] | |
| Languages | |
| English,Sotho | |
| Religion | |
| Judaism |
Thehistory of theJews inLesotho is connected to the much larger Jewish community of the surrounding country of South Africa. The Jewish community is small.
The history of the Jewish presence in Lesotho dates back to the Second Boer War of 1864–1865, when aGerman-Jewish immigrant named Moritz Leviseur fought for the Free State forces that invaded the country. During Lesotho's colonial period, some European Jews settled in Lesotho. Following World War II, Jewish refugees from Nazi Europe temporarily increased the Jewish population. Since World War II, most Jews living in Lesotho have lived there temporarily for business purposes. However, in 1999, Lesotho's Jewish community sent a delegate to the Commonwealth Jewish Congress conference inLondon.[1]
TheWorld Jewish Congress has reported that only a handful of Jewish people in Lesotho belong to the Lesotho Jewish Community, which is affiliated with the Congress. Almost all Lesotho Jews live in the capital city ofMaseru.[1]
In 2005King Letsie III of Lesotho hosted a delegation of theAfrican Jewish Congress (AJC) at his royal palace in Maseru. The AJC, which operates under the auspices of theSouth African Jewish Board of Deputies, acts as a coordinating representative body for the Jewish communities of Southern Africa. The delegation comprised RabbiMoshe Silberhaft, spiritual leader to the AJC, and long-time Maseru resident Yehuda Danziger.[2]
According to a 2020 report from the United States Department of State, Lesotho had a small Jewish community and there were no reported instances ofantisemitic acts.[3]
Israel and Lesotho have had full diplomatic relations since 1968Foreign relations of Israel#Diplomatic relationsForeign relations of Lesotho#Diplomatic relations following Lesotho's independence from Great Britain in 1966, withIsraeli ambassadors serving in Lesotho.
