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{{short description|none}}
{{More citations needed|date=September 2021}}[[Image:Nigeria (orthographic projection).svg|thumb|The location of [[Nigeria]] in [[Africa]]]]
{{Jews and Judaism sidebar}}
{{History of Nigeria}}
 
The '''history of the [[Jews]] in [[Nigeria]]''' is a complex subject.
 
The historic presence of [[Judaism]] in [[Nigeria]] is a cause of debate, as there are several Judaic-oriented religious groups among the largest ethnic groups in the largely populated nation. The groups claim that their religious practices result either from hundreds of years of continuous practice of Judaic or Judaic-like customs by their ethnic groups, customs inherited from the [[Jews of Bilad el-Sudan]] or by a more-recent departure from European [[Christianity]] to modern [[Judaism]]. Either way, Judaism in Nigeria has developed demographically with the interest of Jewish peoples in other countries, especially [[Israel]] and the [[United States]].
 
Rabbi Yisrael Uzan, a leader in the [[Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States]] serves as the Chief Rabbi of Nigeria and the [[Chabad]] representative in [[Abuja]]. Rabbi Mendel Sternbach serves as Rabbi of [[Lagos]]. They are involved in Humanitarian Aid, especially prior to Ramadan.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Jews in Nigeria to distribute 250,000 meals in five cities during Ramadan food rush|url=https://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/jns/jews-in-nigeria-to-distribute-250-000-meals-in-five-cities-during-ramadan-food-rush/article_15d8b77d-9a24-5343-a893-5218b15db958.html|access-date=2021-09-07|website=Cleveland Jewish News|language=en}}</ref>
 
== Igbo Jews ==
{{main|Igbo Jews}}
 
The Igbo Jews of Nigeria are one of the components of the [[Igbo ethnic grouppeople]].<ref>{{cite book|title=The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, the African Written By Himself |first=Olaudah |last=Equiano |chapter=1 |publisher=EBook #15399 |year=2005}}</ref>
 
Certain Nigerian communities with Judaic practices have been receiving help from individual Israelis and American Jews who work in Nigeria, out-reach organizations like [[Kulanu (organization)|Kulanu]],<ref>[http://www.kulanu.org Kulanu website], especially relevant is the [http://www.kulanu.org/nigeria/ Nigeria] page, which treats the Igbo question more extensively.</ref> and African-American Jewish communities in America. Jews from outside Nigeria founded two [[synagogues]] in Nigeria, which are attended and maintained by Igbos.the Igbo.
 
Because no formal census has been taken in the region, the number of Igbos in Nigeria who identify as either Israelites or Jews is not known. There are currently 26 synagogues of various sizes. An estimated 304,000 Igbos were practicing some form of Judaism in 20082016.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Miles|first=William F. S.|title=Meet the Igbo, Nigeria’s Lost Jewish Tribe|url=https://forward.com/news/331188/meet-the-igbo-nigerias-lost-jewish-tribe/|access-date=2021-09-07|website=The Forward|language=en-US}}</ref> Some synagogues in Nigeria include: CHW known as Community of Hashem Worldwide with several synagogues around Nigeria and some part of Cameroon.<ref>{{cite book|last=Bruder|first=Edith|title=The Black Jews of Africa: History, Religion, Identity|year=2008|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0195333565|page=143}}</ref>
 
== Akwa Ibom and Cross River Jews ==
{{Unreferenced section|date=September 2022}}
 
The [[Annang]], [[Efik people|Efik]], and [[Ibibio people|Ibibio]] people of [[Akwa Ibom State|Akwa Ibom]] and [[Cross River State|Cross River States]] of Nigeria have had ancient religious practices that strongly resembled some of the Jewish Torah.{{cn|date=August 2012}} These include their traditional sacrifice of animals (rituals) by the presiding male of each village, or of a group of villages, for purification, especially during times of sickness. They have active synagogues with majority of the synagogues in the eastern part of the country a vibrant one in Abuja supported and provided with lots ofmany Jewish materials by different Rabbis. There are also key Synagoguessynagogues in [[Port Harcourt ]] and Lagos.{{Citation needed|date=September 2021}}
 
== Yoruba Jews ==
The Jewish community among the Yoruba are often referred to as the Bnai Ephraim (Children of Ephraim). Most of them concentrated around various communities in [[Ondo State|Ondo]] state since the 1930s, about 2000 people in all. According to their traditions, they came to Nigeria by way of Morocco sometime in the 16th century after the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492. Their language is a mixture of Moroccan Arabic with Yoruba, but with bits of Aramaic, such as ima for “mother.” Other Yorubas may call them Emo Yo Quaim – the “Strange People” as like in most ethnic groups, the practice of Judaism is among a very small minority. The Bnai Ephraim have kept portions of the Torah in their sanctuaries which distinguish them from their Igbo counterparts who practice Judaism without much influence from the Torah. <ref>[http://www.amijewish.info/w/jews-in-africa/ Jews in Africa], this web page near the bottom discusses the Bnai Ephraim among the Yoruba people.</ref>
 
==References==
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[[Category:Jewish Nigerian history| ]]
[[Category:History of the Jews in West Africa|Nigeria]]
 
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