New Children of Israel: Emerging Jewish Communities in an Era of Globalization by Nathan P. Devir

One of the biggest debates in the contemporary Jewish world is the question of who is a Jew. This debate has a legal angle, for according to Israel's Law of Return, every Jew is entitled to a right to immigrate to Israel and to become an Israeli citizen. Nathan P. Devir's New Children of Israel reviews another aspect of this debate through the examination of three "Judaizing" or "neo-Jewish" communities in Ghana, Cameroon, and India. Devir visited these emerging communities and wrote a fascinating report. He believes that an unprecedented wave of self-defining Jews from the developing world is modern Jewry's next watershed event. According to his research, this new wave has the potential to grow into millions of people.

The movements studied are The House of Israel of Ghana, Beth Yeshourun of Cameroon, and Children of Ephraim of India. Some of these emerging movements claim to be the heirs of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel. According to the Bible, after the destruction of the northern kingdom of Israel by the Assyrians in 722 B.C.E., the ten tribes inhabiting the kingdom were exiled, and their whereabouts lost. During the 1980s and 1990s, some movements emerged claiming to be the descendants of the lost tribes. For instance, the State of Israel has acknowledged that the Beta Israel Movement from Ethiopia was indeed related to historic Judaism; during the 1990s almost all of its members—about 55,000 people—immigrated to Israel.

According to Devir, there are several aspects common to all of the movements. First, at some point in their history, travelers, traders, missionaries, or colonial administrators pointed out that some of their cultural practices were possibly Hebraic or Israelite in origin. These practices included animal sacrifice, burial taboos, observance of a Saturday sabbath and a lunar calendar, and more. Second, most members of each community have a recent Christian theological background. Many have come to Judaism through Christian communities that emphasize the Old Testament, such as Seventh-day Adventism. Choosing Judaism is viewed as a return to roots. Third, each group has endured centuries of oppression. Thus, "they see themselves as Jewish in symbolic terms" (223). Devir's main argument is that these new movements of self-defining Jews are first and foremost a reaction against colonialism, and, as such, against the Christianity that represents colonial oppression. Becoming Jewish, then, is a counter-reaction.

A fourth similarity is that their practice of Jewish customs, including observing the Sabbath, puts the practitioners in grave physical and economic danger. The growth of radical Islam, like Boko Haram, in the heartland of Africa threatens those who define themselves as Jews. Finally, the internet plays a major role in the creation and the dissemination of information among these communities.

How has the Jewish world reacted to this unexpected global movement? Those who embrace and support the new Jewish communities come mainly from American Jewry. The Conservative movement has ordained some members of these communities as rabbis, and an organization called Kulanu ("All of Us") has even offered financial support. However, the Israeli stance is much more reserved; Israel even refused to offer tourist visas to some of the African leaders of these movements. Because Israel accepted the entire Beta Israel community from Ethiopia—something that has strained Israel's welfare system—many observers now fear that an intention to immigrate is the underlying reason for these emerging movements "discovering" their Jewish roots. Devir convincingly argues that this is not the case with these movements, nevertheless skepticism remains.

The New Children of Israel is an excellent account of a fascinating topic. It is one of the most original and interesting books on Jewish identity recently published. The author demonstrates brilliant command of the materials. Who is a Jew in our day? This is a question with many possible and surprising answers.