It's another Friday evening on Nabugoye Hill. The soil’s reddish tint, rich in minerals from volcanic activity, glistens as the sun slowly disappears over the hills, marking the beginning of another Shabbat in the Abayudaya community.

The Abayudaya community traces its story back to 1919,when tribal chief, Semi Kakungulu, broke away from Christian missionaries  and declared, “I am a Jew.” He and his  followers began to embrace Jewish traditions and culture, giving rise to the Abayudaya: the people of Judah in their native Luganda.

Over the past century, the Abayudaya  and other communities have carved out a Jewish presence in the hills of Eastern Uganda: a country typically associated with the 1976 raid on Entebbe, where  hijackers, aided by Idi Amin’s regime,  singled out passengers based on their Israeli nationality and Jewish identity and then held them at gunpoint.

That same regime also sought to rid Uganda of  the Jewish presence. When Idi Amin took power in 1971, he outlawed the practice of Judaism, destroying synagogues such as the first synagogue in the country:  the Namutumba synagogue. Any observance of Judaism was banned, no Torahs, no Kippah, and no practice. Despite this state-sponsored anti-semitism, many in the Abayudaya community stuck to their traditions: continuing to practice underground until Amin’s fall in 1979.

Today,  the Abaduya community  thrives as one of the most unique Jewish populations in the world, with an estimated 2,400 members.

Speaking with Wakibi Benjamin, the Abayudaya “emphasize traditional Jewish values such as community, family, education, and observance of the Sabbath and Jewish holidays, keeping kosher, and attending services.” Just like many other Jewish communities across the world, Shabbat is an extremely special time.

“It involves prayer, communal meals, and rest. We observe the Sabbath with our own unique customs.” - Wakibi Benjamin

These customs are a blend of Jewish and Ugandan traditions. Prayers are sung in Hebrew, Luganda, and English, often accompanied by drums and adungu(lyre). Traditional foods such as  matoke and beans are prepared in kosher ways for Shabbat meals, demonstrating how Halakhah adapts to local tradition.  

For the Abayudaya, Shabbat is not only a day of rest but also  an unwavering commitment to their Jewish faith. In a nation where wearing a kippot used to be a death sentence, it is instead a public expression of their resilience and growth.

Shabbat has become the community’s heartbeat. Each Friday night across five synagogues,  you can hear the rhythm of prayers like Shalom Aleichem and the Vahavta billow across the valley; these same prayers are heard from Buenos Aires to Tel Aviv.. Despite our differences in culture, tradition, lifestyle, and location, Shabbat unites the Jewish world into one shared identity: our Judaism.

For Abayudaya teens, this heartbeat extends outwards to the wider Jewish world.

Wakibi Benjamin  “Despite being isolated, the Abaduya community teens maintain connections with BBYO, and the broader Jewish world through various means, including communication, visits, and participation in online events. Through this, Nabugoye Hill becomes linked to Jewish communities across the world.

The story of the Abayudaya reminds us that Judaism is not about geography, privilege, or numbers. It is instead about resilience, passion, and eternal love. Shabbat is not just a day of rest; it is a declaration of our desire to be proudly Jewish. Judaism is never about where you live, but rather how you live it.