All Ugandans Should Be This Jewish
Today on Tablet
March 28, 2011
Rabbi Sizomu in his element.(Matthew Fishbane)
Deputy news editor Matthew Fishbane offers can’t-miss reportage and a helluva story—both quirky and necessary—today in Tablet Magazine, with a dispatch from outside Mbale, Uganda. Here, Gershom Sizomu Wambedde, the first sub-Saharan rabbi, leads the Abayudaya, a group of Jews numbering approximately 1500 (with an improbable history all their own). About a month ago, Sizomu ran for parliament in a Muslim-majority district against a Muslim incumbent. Sizomu has linked up with foreign, Jewish funders to help his religious flock, and his electoral platform essentially boiled down to this: “What Gershom did for his community, he’ll do for us.” So said one imam (!).
Meanwhile, it turns out that Matthew is what we in show business call a triple threat: An extremely talented editor, writer, and—who knew?—photographer. So check out his narrated visual diary, too.
Marc Tracy is a staff writer at The New Republic, and was previously a staff writer at Tablet. He tweets @marcatracy.
