Conversion, Covenant, and the Call to Integrity
“Conversion, Covenant, and the Call to Integrity”
By Rabbi Mattan Fokou
Representative of the Chief Rabbinate of Africa to the Hebrew Communities of Dimona, Israel, and the Caribbean USA
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Shalom Aleichem.
With deep humility and profound gratitude, I want to begin by honoring the leadership gathered here today.
To OUR CHIEF RABBI, RABBI PINHAS ELIYAHU SHADAY שליט״א, Grand Rabbi of Africa —
Thank you for your guidance, your courage, and your unwavering commitment to restoring dignity and clarity for our communities.
To RAV MEIR SITRUK שליט״א, whose presence elevates this gathering.
To MR. YITSHAK MAMO, representing the World Zionist Organization.
To the Rabbanim, leaders, scholars, and honored guests —
and to my wife, who stands with me in every step of this journey —
it is a privilege to speak before you.
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ESTHER & NAOMI — THE COVENANT OF SINCERITY
Before we begin, I want to ground our words in the brilliance of our Sages. They teach that when Esther entered the covenant of Israel, and when Ruth stood before Naomi and declared, “Your people shall be my people, and your God my God,” at that very moment — the gates of Heaven opened for them.
It was their sincerity — not their background — that brought them in.
And this is the heart of my message today:
Conversion is not a transaction; it is a Covenant.
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CONVERSION AS COVENANT, NOT CURRENCY
The Torah commands: “You shall love the convert.”
Rashi explains that this love must be practical — protection, dignity, clarity.
The Rambam writes that once a convert immerses and accepts the mitzvot,
“HE IS AS A JEW IN EVERY RESPECT.”
Not if he pays.
Not if he finds the right community.
But if he accepts the yoke of Heaven.
Yet today, many sincere souls face confusion, inconsistency, and sometimes even humiliation.
Recently, I met a Hispanic family who lived a full Jewish life for six years.
They saved $15,000 to finalize their conversion —
a kosher wedding, a rented hall, flights to meet a rabbi.
And then they were told their conversion was invalid.
Their money was gone.
Their hearts were broken.
I share this not to criticize, but to awaken compassion.
Halacha requires clarity. Torah requires compassion. Our Communities require both.
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AFRICA’S PLACE IN THE JEWISH STORY
Our sages — Rashi, Radak, Ibn Ezra, and the Midrash all identify “Cush” with Africa.
And the prophets say:
“Cush will stretch out its hands to God.”
Africa has always been part of the Jewish map — not at the margins, but at the center of prophecy, memory, and destiny.
This we glean, clearly evident
from North African manuscripts,
to Ethiopian Jewry,
to communities across West and Central Africa whose embedded culture & customs preserved echoes of Israelite memory.
To be clear, when I speak of Bantu Israelites, I am not referring to Hebrew Israelite movements or any modern identity‑based ideologies.
I am speaking about sincere individuals and families who seek Torah through halachic pathways and proper rabbinic guidance not through ideology, not through claims, but through covenant.
Since I am honored today to address the Hebrew communities of Dimona, the Americas, and the Black Hebrew communities let me say this clearly and with love: I am not here to judge your journey or your history. I am here as a representative of the Chief Rabbinate of Africa to build bridges, to offer halachic clarity, and to honor every sincere soul who seeks a path toward Torah. My words today are not about identity labels; they are about covenant, sincerity, and the future we can build together.
Our sages teach that “a flame without a wick cannot endure.”
Identity is the flame– halacha is the wick.
Without halacha, the fire burns out of control.
With halacha, the fire becomes light.
This is why we hold to rabbinic sources, to mesorah, to the pathways handed down through generations. Not to limit anyone — but to anchor sincerity in something eternal. Halacha does not erase identity; it gives it a home.
The question before us is not whether the connection exists.
The question is how to honor it with Halachic Integrity today.
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PROPHETIC INVITATIONS
Ezekiel speaks of dry bones rising: a scattered people destined to stand again.
Jeremiah speaks of a covenant written on the heart.
These are not poetic images.
They are invitations —
To Restore. To Reconnect. To Rebuild.
And Africa stands at the center of that invitation.
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A CALL FOR LEADERSHIP
If this is the prophetic vision, then our responsibility is clear:
• Build pathways that honor sincerity
• Protect the dignity of every soul
• Provide halachic clarity
• Lead with compassion, not confusion
Africa has the opportunity to model something different
a process rooted in Torah, guided by compassion,
and worthy of Heaven’s approval.
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A STORY FROM THE BEN ISH CHAI AND THE BANTU JOURNEY
The Ben Ish Chai spoke of a simple man in Baghdad who came to the synagogue every morning before sunrise.
He was a laborer.
He could barely read Hebrew.
While others prayed from thick siddurim with beautiful voices,
he whispered the few verses he knew by heart.
One day, a wealthy merchant noticed him and said loud enough for the man to hear:
“Look at him. He doesn’t even know how to pray properly.”
The simple man heard the words.
His face fell.
He closed his siddur… slowly…
and walked out of the synagogue in shame.
That night, the rabbi had a dream.
He saw the synagogue filled with angels
And they were weeping.
The rabbi asked, “Why are you crying?”
And the angels answered:
“TODAY, THE SWEETEST PRAYER IN THIS SYNAGOGUE WAS SILENCED.”
The rabbi said, “But we have scholars who know every word!”
The angels replied:
“YES, BUT THEY PRAY FROM HABIT.
HE PRAYED FROM HIS SOUL.
HIS FEW WORDS ROSE HIGHER THAN ALL THE PAGES COMBINED.”
The rabbi awoke trembling.
At dawn, he ran through the streets until he found the simple man sitting alone, still hurt.
The rabbi took his hands and said:
“Please come back! Your prayers carry this community. Without your voice, our synagogue is missing its heart.”
And the Ben Ish Chai concluded:
“In Heaven, the value of a prayer is not measured by the mouth that speaks it,
But by the heart that lifts it.”
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THE BANTU CONNECTION
When I hear this story,
I think of the Bantu Israelites.
For generations, our communities whispered the few verses we remembered.
We held onto fragments customs, melodies, stories
sometimes without knowing their full meaning.
We prayed with what we had, not with what we lacked.
And for a long time, the world looked at us the way that merchant looked at the simple man:
“Do they really know?
Are they really connected?
What do they think they’re accomplishing?”
But Heaven saw something else.
Heaven saw sincerity.
Heaven saw struggle.
HEAVEN SAW A FLAME THAT REFUSED TO GO OUT.
And from the Ben Ish Chai we learn:
HaShem does not ask for perfection; He asks for Sincerity.
A single honest word from a struggling soul can shake the Heavens, more than a thousand polished prayers recited by rote.
This is the Bantu journey.
Not a journey of noise, but of truth.
Not a journey of status, but of sincerity.
Not a journey of claiming, but of returning.
And today in this room —
THAT SMALL, FLICKERING FLAME HAS BECOME A LIGHT THE WORLD CAN NO LONGER IGNORE.
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May we be the generation that opens doors, not closes them.
May we be the leaders who lift souls, not burden them.
And may Hashem bless every sincere seeker with clarity, compassion, and a path of peace.
BARUCH LE’OLAM LE’OLAM, AMEN V’AMEN.