Nairobi Hebrew Congregation
The Nairobi Hebrew Congregation is a synagogue founded in 1912 by Jewish merchants residing in Nairobi, which was part of the British East Africa. The Nairobi Jewish community has existed since 1904,[1] when a few families migrated to East Africa following the Uganda Scheme, the plan proposed by Joseph Chamberlain, which offered the Jews a refuge from the pogroms in the Russian Empire by the Mau Escarpment, and took its current name in 1907.[2] It was the first synagogue in eastern Africa.[3][2]
The original building was inaugurated in 1912, and it was demolished in 1954 to make room for a larger building, which was designed by Imre Rozsa and inaugurated the next year.[2]
Approximately 20 native Kenyans who converted to Judaism are part of the community.[4][5] The community is officially Orthodox and has around 600 members.[6] The synagogue is affiliated to the World Jewish Congress.[7]
External links
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References
[edit]- ^ About The Nairobi Hebrew Congregation
- ^ a b c Waronker, Jay (2015), "Kenya: Nairobi Hebrew Congregation", Sub-Saharan African Synagogues, retrieved 2025-08-28
- ^ "The Nairobi Synagogue, Nairobi", Paukwa, 2019-01-31, retrieved 2025-08-28
- ^ Carle, Robert (2022-09-07), "Israel's African Outpost: Inside Nairobi's Jewish Community", Religion Unplugged, retrieved 2025-08-28
- ^ Cómo una conversión dividió, y luego fortaleció, a la comunidad judía de Kenia. Enlace Judío
- ^ For Nairobi Jews, Mall Attack Undermines Already Fragile Sense of Security. Haaretz
- ^ "Community in Kenya", World Jewish Congress, retrieved 2025-08-28
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