Sacred continuity · Institutional leadership · Diasporic unity
Rooted in Torah.Built with distinction.
African Jewish Federation-America is the American branch of the Chief Rabbinate of Africa—advancing Nusach Afriki, principled leadership, cultural stewardship and enduring communal institutions throughout North America.
Reclaiming a heritage of nobility through disciplined service
A vision rooted in sacred continuity
More than representation: a vessel strong enough to carry memory.
African and Black Indigenous observance of Torah is not a modern accessory, cultural curiosity or temporary political category. It is a living inheritance that survived displacement, colonization, enslavement, religious suppression, family separation and the fragmentation of communal memory.
The Federation exists to strengthen unity, transmit knowledge, cultivate disciplined leadership and develop lasting infrastructure for education, worship, sacred family life, archives, public scholarship and communal responsibility.
Our work is devoted to a complete return—Teshuvah—to traditional, nature-honoring, Torah-based, halachic communal life that is both kosher and kadosh: lawful, spiritually elevated and rooted in refinement of character.
A council of continuity
Serious discourse without the surrender of distinction.
Hebrew Israelites, Black Jews, Black Orthodox and Hasidic Jews, Dimona Israelites, African Bantu Israelites and Black American communities each carry histories, disciplines and living memories worthy of thoughtful engagement.
The Federation creates a dignified space for listening, scholarship, principled disagreement and the discovery of shared responsibilities—without demanding cultural disappearance as the price of relationship.
Mission in action
Six pillars for an enduring African Jewish future.
Each pillar joins sacred identity to practical service, disciplined formation and accountable institutional life.
Unity with distinction
Strengthen meaningful connection across African and Afro-Indigenous Jewish and Israelite communities without flattening the histories and customs preserved within each people.
Nusach Afriki
Advance Torah study at the level of Sod, prayer, mitzvot, kavanot, ethical discipline, sacred family life and the teachings of the sages and MeKubalim.
Institution-building
Develop study programs, leadership formation, rabbinical training, women’s education, youth rites of passage, resource centers and sacred gathering spaces.
Sacred memory
Preserve African Jewish, Bantu Israelite and Indigenous Black American history through archives, publications, oral histories, documentary work, music, art and conferences.
Communal guidance
Support lifecycle observances, marriage, family formation, conversion, Brit Milah, coming-of-age, Kashrut, burial and spiritual counselling under appropriate rabbinic authority.
Dignified representation
Represent African Jewish communities in religious, academic, philanthropic, cultural and international settings with intellectual seriousness and fidelity to Torah.
The President Administrator’s vision
Leadership must become a sacred vessel, not merely an office.
“My responsibility is to help establish a vessel strong enough to carry what our ancestors preserved. Sacred inheritance cannot survive through sentiment alone. It requires structure, discipline, documentation, teachers, institutions, economic support and leaders whose character is equal to the responsibility placed upon them.”
Rt. Chauah Hadassah HadaraPresident Administrator · African Jewish Federation-America
Five presidential commitments
One integrated standard for sacred service.
These commitments shape how authority is exercised, how knowledge is transmitted and how the institution measures its growth.
Kedushah embodied in conduct, responsibility and reverence.
Knowledge transmitted with depth, rigor and accessibility.
Relationship cultivated without erasure or forced imitation.
Memory protected, documented and given to future generations.
Sacred vision translated into durable structure and service.
Institutional engagement
Partnerships shaped with discretion, clarity and purpose.
We welcome serious collaboration with organizations and patrons whose commitments align with sacred continuity, educational excellence and responsible cultural stewardship.
Philanthropic stewardship
Support archives, publications, scholarships, youth formation, women’s education and permanent communal infrastructure through mission-aligned patronage.
Request a confidential conversation ↗Research and public scholarship
Develop conferences, lectures, archives, oral-history initiatives, exhibitions, documentary projects and academically serious collaboration concerning African Jewish life and Nusach Afriki.
Explore an institutional partnership ↗Communal development
Connect with rabbinic guidance, educational resources, leadership formation, lifecycle support, congregational planning and the wider transatlantic network.
Arrange a leadership consultation ↗Initiatives and objectives
From sacred vision to functioning community.
Torah & Nusach Afriki Institute
Classes, study circles, kavanot, teacher formation, rabbinical pathways and accessible public scholarship.
Youth rites of passage
Character development, cultural confidence, service, discipline, sacred responsibility and intergenerational mentorship.
Women’s education & leadership
Spaces for learning, family support, scholarship, public leadership and preservation of Sacred Memory.
Archives, publications & film
Oral histories, community archives, documentary work, books, music collaborations, exhibitions and conferences.
Congregational support network
Guidance for emerging communities, prayer spaces, resource sharing, leadership support and regional connection.
Lifecycle & family guidance
Responsible pathways for marriage, conversion, Brit Milah, coming-of-age, Kashrut, burial, counselling and sacred family life.
Plan and structure
Accountability designed for growth.
A functional public framework for understanding the Federation’s work. Final governance remains subject to its bylaws and rabbinic chain of authority.
Chief Rabbinate of Africa → African Jewish Federation-America
The Federation operates under the Chief Rabbinate’s spiritual framework while developing the institutional, educational, cultural and communal work of the American branch.
Torah & Education
Nusach Afriki, rabbinical formation, teacher training, scholarship and public learning.
Women, Youth & Family
Transmission, formation, rites of passage, family support and women’s leadership.
Heritage & Publications
Archives, oral history, publishing, arts, film, music and scholarly conferences.
Community Services
Lifecycle guidance, congregational support, spiritual counselling and resource networks.
Partnerships & Representation
Universities, institutions, Indigenous communities, cultural bodies and public affairs.
Development & Operations
Fundraising, patron relations, infrastructure, communications and administration.
Institutional briefing
Essential questions.
Clear language for families, community leaders, universities, foundations and prospective partners considering engagement with the Federation.
What is African Jewish Federation-America?
Who does the Federation serve?
What is Nusach Afriki?
How can institutions and patrons engage?
Is the Federation seeking unity at the expense of difference?
Healing relationships is nation building
Preserving our inheritance. Building our future.
We are building a Federation in which African Jewish families can recognize themselves, educate their children, honor the noble legacies protected by their ancestors, serve the Creator and participate in the collective life of Israel without abandoning ancestral memory.