Jewry, Black American

Beginnings

Many believe the Judaic presence in African American religious life can be traced to the exile and diaspora that followed the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE; this resulted in the dispersion of many Jews to many parts of Africa. Hence, African and African American Judaism are deeply rooted in some of the legends, folk tales, and uncertainties surrounding the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel and the more than 2,500-year history of Ethiopian Jewry (Beta Israel).

[Page 793]It may be difficult to unravel all of ancient Judaism's history, but what is verifiable is the historical identification of Black Americans with Ancient Israel and the Hebrew people. In 18th and 19th centuries, in speeches and sermons, and especially in the spirituals, suffering African Americans poured out their grief, joy, and their longing for freedom as they too imagined themselves marching forward to their Promised Land. They viewed their persecution, enslavement, exile, and emancipation as paths that would follow the path of the suffering Hebrews. This identification with the Ancient Israelites also included the idea of having been selected like the Israelites as the Chosen People who were, like the Hebrews, in search of their Promised Land, which would be a return to Africa, though the double meaning of the term would also mean Heaven.

Though fragmentary data indicate some Hebraic ideas and practices within African American religious practices in the early and mid-19th century, the earliest record of formal institutional Judaic practices occurred in 1886 with the formation of the first Black Jewish sect, the Church of the Living God, the Pillar Ground of Truth for all Nations, founded by F. S. Cherry in Chattanooga, Tennessee. This was followed by The Church of God and Saints of Christ, organized by William S. Crowdy in Lawrence, Kansas, in 1896.

Though both groups contained elements of Christian teachings, they introduced ideas and practices that served as foundations for subsequent African American Jewish groups: that Blacks were the true descendants of the ancient Hebrew people and that Europeans had usurped the original meaning and intent of the Hebrew scripture to elevate themselves over others and therefore claim to be the sole inheritors and interpreters of the scripture and Jewish life. Crowdy's Jewish sect was the first among many groups that followed his lead to initiate circumcision rites, observe the Shabbat on Saturday, wear the yarmulke, and observe Pesach and kosher.

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